


Skeletons in my closet

by Stormbreezes



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16764442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormbreezes/pseuds/Stormbreezes
Summary: Sans is caught in a terrible blizzard, half starved and running out of power, he resolves himself to do whatever it takes to keep his baby brother safe.





	1. Chapter 1

Cold.

Everything was so cold.

The swirling flurry pelted his already numb face as he trudged through the frozen earth, hoping to find something, anything that could provide temporary shelter to weather through the storm. If he didn't find somewhere soon, there would be no hope for him, for as sure as the frozen droplets beat down upon his small form, he knew that he would likely fall this very night. 

Oh, why hadn't they just kept on the path to the city? True, it wasn't the best of places to be, but it damn sure beat being stuck in a blizzard, slowly freezing their asses off!

To add insult to injury, the winds chose just that time to strengthen, whipping the furred hood from his skull to flap annoyingly in the wind. The skies howled mightily, the flurries slowly becoming harder, much more painful as it found purchase upon his cheeks. Resolve faltering momentarily, he stilled as a sudden feeling of dread washed over him. The sky was darkening by the minute, no doubt preparing for an all out shitstorm, just.. great.

A small voice broke over the raging winds as a skeletal head emerged from beneath the semiwarm jacket. His melancholic thoughts were left on hold as he rushed to plaster a reassuring smile on his face. It wouldn't do for him to know just how boned they actually were. Shaky arms settled over the back of the little skeleton's skull, hoping to shield him from the biting hail.

"What is it, Paps?" 

Papyrus, his sweet little brother gazed into his eyes forlornly as his small voice barely managed to rise over the storm, "Sans, how much farther?"

The elder skeleton kept his signature smile up, all the while his eyes took in the shivering form of his younger brother. His eye lights wavered as unshed tears clung to his tiny eye sockets, more welling as he looked to his brother for hope.

Something that Sans couldn't deliver.

Despite the terrible chill nipping at the exposed bones of his legs, Sans moved onward in hopes of at least making it closer to where he hoped civilization lie ahead. The odds weren't looking so good, but he had to keep moving forward, he was determined to keep Papyrus safe. One hand moved to cradle the youngster against his chest while the other pushed his head against his neck as he used what little power he had to rise to the surface, giving them a little bit of warmth against the harsh cold.

Papyrus clutched tiny hands into the tattered shirt that lie beneath Sans' thin hoodie as he snuggled closer to the weary skeleton's neck. The wind still nipped warningly against the back of his skull, but he was thankful for the small gift Sans could muster. Warmth was warmth and he was grateful to have it. Tears fell unbidden as they soaked the front of Sans' dirty shirt, although he tried desperately to hold in his sobs and prayed that Sans would think his trembling form merely cold.

Sans wasn't fooled in the slightest, but he clutched Papyrus tighter, offering his strength and support as they moved slowly through the crunching snow. 

"Don't worry, bro. We'll make it out of this. We're almost there.." His voice, though confident and a tad smug, was merely a front. He only hoped that he could get Papyrus somewhere safe before he succumbed to the numbing cold.

And so he carried on, one foot after the other, moving farther and farther away from the snowy meadow, out to where they hoped would lie Ebbot City. 

How wrong they were..

The two carried on for what felt like years until finally, he began to lose any ounce of hope he once had. The elder brother was tiring substantially, hours of carrying on through the harsh weather, while trying to channel his power outward had taken its toll. Chest rising and falling in slow, unsteady rhythms while his form trembled with overuse, he struggled now more than ever to stay upright, to forge ahead. Things were turning from bad to dire as his power flickered unsteadily before blinking out entirely, leaving the two skeleton brothers to fight off the icy chill full force once more. But he refused to stop, his soul was aching as his powers receded back into his body, his arms and legs heavy and tired from the overexertion. 

He knew he must move, if not for his own sake, then for his brother's. Papyrus deserved more than this. A shitty brother who couldn't protect him, couldn't feed him, could not provide for the tiny monster in his arms. Tears flooded his sockets as his heart filled with regret and sorrow. This was not the life he should be living, his brother deserved none of the hardships that came his way. If only fate had been different, if they had not-

Self deprecating thoughts fled the older skeleton as he focused on the landscape up ahead, the faint outline of something in the distance filling him with cautious hope. Sans could make out something in the distance. Squinting heavily, he could make out the shape of something solid, and quite large. It took a few moments before the greatest sight fell upon them. 

Light! Piercing yellow light shone it's way through the darkened sky, the storm unable to hide it's warm glow.

Overjoyed, he rushed ahead, clutching Papyrus tightly as he cried his hopeful delight over the storm's fierce winds.

"We're almost there, Paps! We're.. al..most.."

With a low groan, Sans slumped forward, crashing to the snowy earth as he struggled to move. Grunting as he urged his body to stand, he found that the last of his strength was gone. Eyes growing wide, he fought to regain control of his limbs, only to find that he couldn't move. His arm trembled in front of his eyes, no doubt from the cold, and yet he could feel nothing. The overwhelming freeze that had clung to his bones was fading as no doubt his body was shutting down.

_No, no! Not now! God, please..We're almost there!_

He begged any higher power out there to here his plea, to have mercy as he felt himself growing weaker with each passing moment. 

Papyrus struggled to free himself from his brother's grasp when he realized that Sans wasn't getting up. Fear overtook his small form as he shuffled under the weight of his brother, all the while calling out for Sans, only to receive no answer in return. Finally after what felt like forever did he manage to crawl out from underneath the large body, while he trembled from the piercing cold that surrounded him. Turning back, he couldn't stop the tears from coming as he witnessed his brother's limp form, tears of his own trailing down high cheeks to fall onto the snow beneath. Something was wrong, so very wrong!

"Sans, get up! Come on, we're almost there!" 

Papyrus grabbed hold of a limp hand and pulled with all his might, hoping to spur the older skeleton into action. He sobbed quietly as Sans' eye lights flickered in and out, barely registering that he was there. 

"Sans, please!"

His cries fell on deaf ears as the limp body beneath him gave no resistance. No matter how hard he tugged, he received no response. 

"..Brother.. don't leave me!" 

The flickering eye lights caught his as the older skeleton gave a small grin, one that aimed to hide his exhaustion and fear, but it fell short as his little brother clung to his arm with all his might, sobbing and wailing over the raging storm.

A shaky voice whispered close to his ear, "Pappy.. listen to me. That light up ahead.. go to it.."

The younger skeleton shook his head vigorously as his sobbing only grew in volume, "No! I won't leave you!"

"You need to.."

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU GO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, SANS!" 

A few moments passed before Sans let out a weak chuckle, eyelights fading with every passing second. He wanted to give up, to rest his weary bones, but he needed to get Papyrus to safety. With a sad smile, he finally whispered, "Please.. go. Get help, bro.. I can't.."

The two stayed there on the ground for a few moments before Papyrus nodded and climbed to his feet, hurrying towards the golden light, towards his only hope of saving the only family he had left. 

Sans saw him off before his eyes closed, a shaky breath leaving his body as the tears kept falling. It was a dirty trick, he knew. But it was the only way to make sure Papyrus lived. He was too far gone to be saved, but pappy.. He would live, survive this night and hopefully find someone willing to take him in.

As a tiny spark of hope filled his soul, Sans gave a small smile, one of acceptance and resignation. Eyes dimming, his consciousness finally left.


	2. Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus runs to the light, hoping to find help before it's too late.

Papyrus ran as fast as his little legs could take him, pushing himself to his limits as he rushed to get help. Tears streaked his skull as he ran forth, the fear of losing his brother motivating him to carry on despite the freezing winds and pelting hail. He had to find help, he just had to!

Stumbling through the waist high snow, he made his way to the light, which was growing brighter and warmer with each step. The sound of laughter reached him even through the winds, giving him hope that someone would be able to help them. If there wasn't so much riding on this, he would have smiled, but for now he just clambered through the snow faster than ever, determined to reach the cabin that loomed ahead.

Soon he found himself panting, drawing desperate gulps of air into his burning lungs, the frigid temperature having tired him out along with the energy he expended running to the cabin. Tiny fingers clutched his chest as he approached a sliding glass door, stopping to give himself a short rest. When he managed to calm his erratic breathing, he peered through the glass, taking in the pleasant sight before him.

The home inside was brightly lit, a hearty fire giving off plenty of warmth despite the cold outside, how he wished to be in their place.. there were many chairs all gathered around one large sofa in the middle of the room ahead, bottles and cans littering the ground.

There were a few humans mingling with one another in front of the roaring fire, laughing and carrying on without a care in the world. A few were drinking some red drinks that he didn't recognize, and eating some sort of small breads and cheese. Some were holding some strange sticks that they lit at the end, smoke billowing out from the end. 

It was all very confusing to the naive skeleton, but at the moment none of it mattered. He needed help, and now! Raising a tiny fist, he knocked on the glass door, trying to draw attention to the locked out monster. It didn't seem to work as the adults proceeded to carry on with their activities, as if they didn't hear him. Which, they probably didn't considering he was so small and had such little force to knock with.

Frown etched into his skull, he kept on banging, watching the humans with tears in his eyes as they didn't seem to hear his knocks or cries for help. He doubled his efforts, using both hands to bang on the door as hard as his little body could. It didn't help either, his energy too low to capture their attention.

He was just about to give up until a tiny human skittered closely, seeming to come closer to where he was. A hopeful smile crossed his face as he waved frantically to get her attention, jumping up and down as much as he could. When the little girl met his gaze, he smiled widely and motioned for her to come closer.

The girl's eyes widened, her form trembled and she opened her mouth to scream. Papyrus freaked out and jumped back waving his hands in front of him in a fit of fear, trying to show her he meant no harm. Putting a bony finger over his lips he tried to convey to her that he meant no harm. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he quickly moved closer to the glass where he started to breathe onto it.

The little human was about to turn and run until she saw the skeleton start to breathe against the glass until it fogged up, then proceeded to write something. Not able to make out what it said, she approached the door cautiously, her curiosity overpowering her fear of the unknown. The small writing was hard to read, but she made out the words: brother, help, and cold.

She watched the skeleton curiously as he finished writing his message, hand falling limply to his side as he shivered from the cold. He looked so small and frail, his little body absolutely wracked with tremors, the small shirt soaked from the frozen rain, the overly long pants also soaked and partially frozen from travelling in the snow. Her heart ached to see him so scared and lost, and against her better judgement, she decided to help the poor thing. She nodded to the skeleton before racing off away from the door, which only made Papyrus panic as he feared she wouldn't come back. He slumped down to the cold earth, head in hands and sobbed as the fear of losing everything hit him.

He never saw the girl return or how she looked behind her to find the adults still preoccupied to notice what she was doing.

As she turned back, she quietly unlocked the door and opened it just a tad, long enough for her to slip outside before she shut it once more. When she bent down, she noticed the teary eyed monster watching her curiously and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the little guy. Bringing her hands down, she placed a large, fluffy red scarf on his neck with a hesitant smile. Papyrus' eyes widened as she wrapped him in the warm fabric, it being far too big for him as it practically swamped his entire body. 

He looked up at the girl and smiled warmly, the relief he felt so great that he laughed brokenly as he tried to hold back his tears. The girl's tiny voice broke through his tears as she finally mustered up the courage to speak to the strange creature.

"A-Are you okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically, happy to be able to find someone that would help, "Yes, thank you for the cloth, but I need your help!"

A bit taken aback, the girl frowned, "You need my help? With what?"

"My brother and I got lost in the storm. Please, could we stay with you?" He begged, reaching out to clutch her pant leg desperately.

She frowned, shuddering as the chill began to seep through her cozy blue and purple sweater, her eyes scanning the darkness ahead before coming back to rest on the tiny skeleton's form, "I don't know.. I might get in trouble.."

Papyrus frowned and clung tighter, his small voice breaking with fear, "Please, we have no where to go! J-just for tonight, please let us stay!"

She looked down hesitantly, "I'm not really supposed to talk with strangers.."

"Well, I'm the great Papyrus.." he said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly before the fear came back. 

He nodded to himself and tried again, "So we aren't strangers anymore. Please, let us stay?"

The girl looked back down and took in his panicked eyes, the fear and hope radiating off his small body. Her gaze shifted to the howling winds and the harsh storm raging around them. No one should be out here, especially not with it being so bad outside. Looking back towards the house, she noticed the adults moving to sit back on the couch, not paying any attention to them. After a moment of deliberating she nodded and proceeded to scoop up the little skeleton despite his surprised squeak.

"Okay, you can stay, but you have to be quiet or I'll get in trouble."

Nodding vigorously, he flung his arms around her neck, making her shiver from the cold bones, but he thanked her over and over for her kindness.

A smile crossed her features for a moment before it turned into a confused grimace, "So.. you mentioned a brother. Where is he?"

Papyrus pulled away quickly, pointing back the way he came, "He fell back there! I can't get him to stand up, and I'm not strong enough to carry him. Please can you help him?"

"I can try. Lead me to him, the weather is gonna get worse," she said pointing to the almost black clouds rolling in from the hills to their right.

Papyrus nodded and scrambled out of her hold to lead her towards his brother. He struggled to move in the scarf that wrapped over his body about five times, and the waist high snow wasn't helping matters either. The girl swooped him up in her arms and asked for directions, which he was more than happy to give.

The two made their way farther from the cabin as they backtracked through the snow towards Sans. It took a few minutes to reach the spot since it was so dark, but they finally managed to find the bigger skeleton, seemingly unconcious in a snowy mound.

Papyrus went to reach for Sans, calling his name and encouraging him to move, but there was no response. The girl bent down to try and shake him awake, but that didn't help either. She went to grab his hand when she finally realized just how bad he was. The skeleton wasn't shaking like the one in her arms, he was barely even breathing. 

The girl's eyes widened in fear as she frantically grabbed the blue hoodie and lifted the surprisingly weighted skeleton. Absently, she wondered why he would weigh anything at all if he was just bones, but that didn't matter right now. They needed to get him inside, now! 

Rushing, she put the small skeleton on her chest before scooping the larger skeleton in her arms before stumbling to lift him on her back. It took a few minutes, her body shaking slightly under the added weight and the biting cold. Her red orbs locked onto the little skeleton's white lights, "Hang on tight. We gotta get him home, now."

Papyrus nodded and clung to her sweater tightly as the girl stumbled as fast as she could back to the cabin. The extra weight slowed her down, and she frowned as the dark clouds began to roll in. They were about halfway there when the winds picked up even more, hail now thundering on them in thick sheets. Every frozen drop felt like rocks pelting her skin and the girl flinched, trying her best to hurry inside. She noticed the skeleton clutching her chest whimper and bury himself into her neck, hoping to stave off some of the hits.

Rushing forward as they were almost to the door, she scoped out the inside, noticing that the lights were off except for the fireplace, the steady fire being the only source of light. She slowly opened the sliding glass door as she stumbled inside, her boots making a wet plopping noise as she came inside. 

Frowning, she shut the door and locked it once more before tiptoeing through the kitchen, as they made their way behind the living room couch, thankful that the skeletons had remained quiet. She peeked over the top to see her mom and dad fast asleep, empty cans littering the couch and the carpet floor. With a sigh of relief, she continued moving to the left, down a small hallway until they reached the end where a door lie half open. Thankful that she didn't shut it before coming out, she toed the door open and hurried in her room before closing it behind her and moving to her bed.

"Alright, hop off little guy. We're home."

Papyrus nodded and dropped onto the soft mattress below and watched as the girl turned around and slowly lowered Sans onto the bed. She seemed relieved now that the added weight was gone, and she took a moment to rub her sore back before turning to gaze at his older brother.

His eyes were still closed, his chest barely moving, and his clothes soaked the sheets underneath him. She reached a hand over to touch his face and hissed as his ice cold bone met her flesh. Without thinking, she ran around her room, pulling out different garments until her floor was littered with clothes. Sighing, she frowned at the pile below, but pulled out a thick beanie, a thick scarf, some cute hello kitty mittens, a pair of thick wool socks, and an oversized sweater dress that would come down to her ankles. Thankfully they were close to the same size, maybe he was a bit taller, but it would have to do. Turning back around, she got to work removing his jacket, finding the shirt underneath it to be wet too, she took it off too.

The sight of bones fascinated her as her little mind wondered how he lived as just a skeleton, but nothing more. She didn't feel right taking off his pants, so she left them alone and removed his soaked slippers. Now there was the issue of putting the sweater on him..

Sighing, she moved to pick him up, and frowned at how limp he was, just like a rag doll. Well, he kinda was anyway since they were practically playing dress-up, but that was besides the point. When he rested against her stomach, she pulled the sweater over his head and carefully pulled his bony arms through the sleeves, smiling as they went well past his fingers. After his top half was covered, she put the thick beanie on his skull as well as a wool scarf around his neck and face. Leaning him back on the bed, she pulled the sweater dress down to cover his legs and put on the thick socks. Finally she put on the hello kitty mittens and rushed off to find a suitable blanket.

Papyrus watched over his unresponsive brother, slightly grimacing at how girlish he looked in the girly clothes, but he was grateful nonetheless. Sans would be warm and toasty in all the layers, and as the girl came back into the room carrying a heavy quilted blanket he smiled at her gratefully.

She went to wrap him in the quilt, but paused as she wondered where she was going to put the two monsters. They couldn't sleep in her bed or else they'd all get caught..

A frown tugged her lips as she looked around the room for somewhere to keep them hidden. Her bed wouldn't work, the bed sat too low to the ground to be comfortable for them to sleep under. Her eyes flickered to the play tent set up in the corner of her room, the bright fairy lights glowing the area in pinks, purples, blues, and golds. Shaking her head as the space was too small and well lit, she sighed and looked elsewhere.

Finally her eyes drifted to her closet. It wasn't the coziest option, since it was after all a closet, but it had a high ceiling, plenty of space to hide in, a nice stretch of carpet, and a door that could be shut if need be. Deciding that was the best place for them to go, she snatched a couple pillows off her bed and laid them down on the closet floor towards the back where they would be least likely to be spotted since there were clothes they could hide behind and little light back there. 

She then went lay down the quilt before grabbing a few extra pillows for comfort's sake. Sighing, she went back and lifted the older skeleton in her arms, smiling as she noticed he was a bit warmer now than he was earlier. Carefully, she set him down on the quilt and wrapped him up snugly until he looked like a cocooned skelly. Laughing lightly, she leaned back on the ground, taking a minute to process everything that had just happened.

What if her parents found out? It was so scary to find two half frozen monsters, they weren't even supposed to exist! And yet, here they were. Her parents would never believe her if she told them, so she vowed to keep them a secret. Hopefully they would be able to be quiet and rest up. She looked up to see the little skeleton peering down at her curiously. 

Papyrus had watched her take care of Sans, and his heart filled with joy as the fear and tension of the last few hours finally melted away. His brother was safe, they were warm and it was all thanks to the little human before them. When she looked up at him, he gave her the brightest smile he could muster and let out a soft laughing 'nyehehe', which in turn made her laugh at his unusual but cute laugh. 

When they both calmed down, Papyrus gave her a tight hug before moving to lie down by his brother. The girl got up and brought him a smaller blanket so he could stay warm as well. 

"Thank you so much, human. You saved our lives tonight.. I'm glad to have met you." Papyrus whispered softly.

She smiled and patted his head, "I'm glad too. You're a cool little dude, Papyrus."

His eyes sparkled brightly, "Thank you. You're a nice human, uh.."

She smiled as he searched his memory for her name, and she giggled as she realised she'd not told him, "My name's, Frisk."

"Ah, thank you. Seriously though, thank you for helping us, Frisk."

Giving him another patient smile she nodded and tucked him in as he yawned and snuggled closer to his brother, "Get some sleep, you guys have had a long day."

Papyrus nodded as his eye lights wavered before finally fading as he slipped into a wonderful sleep, surrounded by warmth and peace for the first time in a long time.

Frisk knelt beside Sans, and placed a hand to his forehead. His skull was slightly warmer and his breathing was deepening. She smiled happily before getting up and leaving them to rest. She tiptoed out of the closet quietly before shutting the door and crawling into her bed, not bothering to change out of her damp clothes.

A yawn passed her lips as she cuddled into her pillow, allowing the fatigue of the day to catch up and sleep take over her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! It's Storm here. Back at it again with another chapter! I just want to clarify some things really quick because I never addressed this earlier, but Sans is 11 years old, Frisk is 10, and Papyrus is 3. 
> 
> Whenever their ages change I'll be sure to put it in the story and in a note after the chapter is over to clarify.
> 
> Also, sidenote here: Never, ever let someone spend the night with you/take you anywhere/whatever just because they tell you their name. Just because someone tells you a name doesn't mean they are who they say they are. A stranger is a stranger despite you knowing a name. I just used this in the story, but seriously in real life this is how people get kidnapped, hurt, etc. So don't go off with people you've just met.


	3. Fright

Daylight filtered in through the two windows along either side of Frisk's bed as she slowly stirred from her dreams. A small yawn tore it's way from her throat as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Climbing out of bed, she made her way to the window and took a peek outside.

The weather was still the same as it was last night. Relentless and harsh, the hail pattered against the glass as the storm continued to rage on. Rolling her eyes, she rummaged through her dresser drawers until she found a change of clothes before sneaking out of the room to use the restroom and get ready for the day, even though it seemed as if they were going to do nothing but stay indoors. Frisk hurried through her morning routine, making sure to wash away all the grime from yesterday and take care of her morning breath before throwing on the red sweater and black pants she had picked out.

Taking a moment to brush out her tangled hair, she watched her reflection in the steamy mirror, running a hand through the long brown strands as she worked. When that was done she crept out the bathroom silently before making her way to the kitchen, pausing briefly to make sure her parents were still fast asleep. She looked in the fridge and took out a package of ham slices and cheese before going to the counter and snatching the loaf of bread from on top. Taking one of the paper plates that were stacked on the counter, from the party last night, she hurriedly fixed her.. guests?.. a couple of sandwiches, since they'd probably be waking up soon. After that was done she put everything away before checking to make sure her parents were still asleep.

Grabbing the plate, she tiptoed back down the hallway and into her room, curious to see how the skeletons were doing. She quietly shut the door to her room and headed to the closet, anxious to see the strange creatures she had saved last night. Taking a moment to gather her courage, she took a deep breath before opening the closet door, almost afraid to see what would lie on the other side. True, she had taken them in, but what if they didn't make it, what if they suddenly decided to lash out? The whole concept of monsters was still new and she couldn't help but be afraid of the unknown.

The door swung open with a loud creak that made her wince as she tried to sneakily peek inside. Frowning at the lack of light, she pulled the drawstring dangling from the ceiling and let the room fill with bright yellow light. Two figures were laying side by side as they had been the night before, except now Papyrus managed to sprawl partly out of the covers. A hand reached up to hide her giggles as she crept closer to the two skeletons. Leaving the plates by their makeshift beds, she went ahead and covered the little skeleton back up before heading over to where the bigger one lie seemingly still asleep.

She placed a hand onto Sans' forehead and smiled triumphantly now that he had warmed up. Well, maybe too much since his bones felt rather warm, but that was okay! She gently pulled the oversized beanie away and untucked him from his cocoon to take off the socks and mittens as quietly as she could, so as not to disturb him. When she began to take off his mittens, he actually bolted upright, his white pinpricks of eyelights were scanning the room in disoriented confusion, until they settled on her.

She bit back a startled cry and quickly fell backwards, scrambling away from the now very much awake monster. He reached forward and grabbed her ankle, intent on finding out where he was, but her scared scream made him wince before moving a hand to clamp down on her mouth. She eyed him fearfully as he managed to pin her down on her stomach, him hovering over top her. Had she not been so terrified she might have laughed, he wasn't a terribly frightening creature since he was clad in a cutesy sweater dress, but the speed with which he moved managed to frighten the little girl.

The situation she found herself in was enough to make her scared for her life. Her eyes watered quickly and soft sobs tore from her throat as she looked over her shoulder at the monster hovering over her body.

"Pl-Please, don't hurt me! I'm s-sorry," she whimpered pitifully, trying her best to curl up into herself, yet his weight on her back making it impossible. Her heart hammered in her chest as she sobbed fearfully, her cries managing to startle the bigger monster, and even wake Papyrus in the process.

Sans was shocked to say the least. He hadn't meant to scare her, he just wanted to know where he was and what happened to his brother, but then she screamed and he panicked. It only took another moment before Papyrus was in front of him, sternly berating him for making the poor girl cry.

"Brother, you can't go around scaring the human! Get off her before she passes out!" 

Papyrus pushed away Sans' hand as Sans moved away, then went to check on the little human that had backed herself to the furthest wall away from them, her small form shaking as she tried to hold in her tears. The little monster frowned and turned back to Sans with a hard glare,"Look what you did, you made her cry! Apologize, Sans!"

The older brother frowned as he took in her shaking body, and he sighed knowing that perhaps that wasn't the best way to make an impression. He stood up and began to walk towards the crying girl when she whimpered and cowered, trying to make herself smaller. It seemed he really had scared her half to death..

With a small sigh, he sat back down and waited for her to calm down a little. When her cries turned to hiccups, he calmly walked over to her, stopping a few feet away where she could easily get away if she felt threatened.

"Sorry for scaring you.. I didn't mean to make you cry.."

The girl sniffled and looked up at the monster before nodding and looking away, her fear starting to ease up a bit. He didn't make a move to come any closer so she took that as a good sign and looked back at him after wiping her tears away on the back of her sleeve. He was a strange looking skeleton, his head perfectly round, jaw pronounced, and a wide toothy grin plastered on his face. She guessed that if she stood he might be a few inches taller than her, but she wasn't too sure.

"Th-there's food for you guys o-over there.." she stuttered, pointing over a little ways away where the two ham and cheese sandwiches lie near their makeshift beds.

Papyrus gave her a huge grin and a chipper thanks before scurrying over to the plate and plucking one of the sandwiches hurriedly, chowing down ravenously. Sans chuckled as he watched Papyrus eagerly stuff his face, he hadn't eaten in days, well at least not properly anyway. His eyes dimmed slightly as he took in his brother's scrawny form. Skeleton as they were, he was far too thin, his bones tiny and frail, his frame far too thin for one of his age. 

Sans frowned momentarily, his chipper facade gone as he took in the younger skeleton's form. It took everything he had not to tear up as he watched his brother scarf the other half of the sandwich down ungraciously, no doubt the hunger he felt overriding his normal mannerisms. He couldn't help but feel like a failure. Papyrus was half starved, cold and weak from the lack of consistency, traveling, and hiding. Their kind weren't welcome amongst humans, they made that abundantly clear. Everywhere the brothers went they were chased away within a few days once news of monsters had spread. The two took refuge amongst alleyways, inside the crawlspaces underneath houses, and dilapidated shacks amongst the countryside. It was never comfortable, always disgusting and miserable, but they made due with what they had to survive. 

For once, Sans wouldn't have to swipe their dinner from unsuspecting vendors, run away from law enforcement, or resort to digging through the trash. He forced a smile back onto his features as his little brother scampered over to him, his face brimming with happiness, and offered him the other sandwich. 

"Brother, you have to try this! It's really good!"

Sans chuckled and rubbed Papyrus' skull, much to his delight, but gently pushed the sandwich away, "You go ahead and eat bro. I'll have some later, okay?"

Papyrus frowned, not happy that his brother wasn't eating, but he nodded anyway, "Okay.. just make sure you eat it later."

The older brother nodded, smiling down reassuringly, "I will. Now go on and finish your meal."

He did just that, happily finishing the two sandwiches Frisk had made for him, as he scooted close to his older brother, happy to have him awake once more. He didn't seem so tired anymore, yet he looked.. sad. But there wasn't anything to be sad about right? They were warm and fed, and most importantly, they were safe! So why would he be so sad?

While Papryus was busy cuddling up to Sans, the elder brother merely watched the little human girl, silently appraising her. She was small, no more than four foot if he had to guess, with long flowing hair that pooled around her in damp waves. She was still avoiding eye contact, presumably still working past some apprehension, but that was to be expected after their little scare, plus the fact that most humans didn't know that monsters were real, and those that knew the truth of their existence branded them as troublemakers and demons.

A heavy sigh passed bony teeth as he shifted to pull his knees to his chest, and as the bony appendages came into view, so did a strange fabric he had not recognized. With a look of confusion, he glanced down, taking in his appearance for the first time that day. His hands were covered by bright pink mittens with an odd white cat. It's black dots for eyes eerily unnerving, despite its chipper dress and bow. He grimaced as his gaze moved to the long garment that fell to his ankles. A frown marred his features as he hesitantly pinched the long sweater dress that covered his form. Although it warmed his chilly bones. He couldn't help the slight displeasure at being dressed in something so... _girly_.

A soft spoken voice broke through his thoughts, the sound no more than a whisper.

"Sorry, it's all I had.."

He nodded, raising his head to stare at the strange human once more, briefly flashing a large toothy smile he murmured his denial and thanks for her generosity.

As his teeth glistened underneath the fluorescent light, she scooted backwards a bit more, a bit startled by his wide grin and strange pin pricked eye lights. It was.. unusual to say the least. Yet, she felt no hostility coming from the monster before her. When he noticed her apprehension and fearful eyes, he frowned slightly, sighing softly and scooting back to lean against the wall opposite of her, his hands falling loosely to his sides. His eye lights dimmed as he closed his eyes, hoping to find some way to show that he was no threat.

"Please, don't be scared. We won't hurt you." His soft plea managed to reach her, although just barely. His voice belied his sadness, his fear, making her wince. Maybe.. he was telling the truth, but..

"But.. you're monsters.." she whispered back, wary and yet curious as well.

Sans blew out a hot puff of air as he sighed heavily. Here was another human, one who was kind enough to take them in despite their fear, and now he had gone and fueled her doubts. He could understand her worries, and yet..

His brow bone furrowed as he fought the surge of emotion threatening to spill forth, jaw clenched tight as he fought back the budding anger cinching his features. Of course she would be scared.. _should_ be scared. They were legends of old, creatures long forgotten by the human world, and yet here they were, two skeletons sat across from her in a tiny closet. He understood her fear, and yet he couldn't stop the rising anger bubbling inside his chest, the soft hiss that passed his teeth, or the way one eye flashed between blue and gold. He quickly covered his eye with a bony hand, trying to calm his agitation before the girl was frightened once more. 

A quick glance revealed her shuffling slowly closer, scooting across the carpet inch by slow inch until she sat directly in front of the conflicted skeleton. She reached out just as slow, her small hand mere inches away from his face as she stared, wide-eyed with curiosity, into his flickering gaze. She was a breath' s width away before he regained enough sense to inhale sharply, her close proximity momentarily clouding his senses as she approached. Her hand faltered briefly, pausing for a few moments as she blinked absently, her eyes no longer focusing on his, but instead the contours of his skull. Her hand unconsciously followed her eyes as her gentle fingers traced the curve of his broad cheeks, moving ever so gently upwards, startling his frayed nerves. Her skin felt odd on his warm skull, the soft flesh bringing an odd yet not unwelcome tingle to his chubby face.

Her features suddenly hardened and her hand withdrew just as slow as she had advanced, the furrow of her brow and childish pout of her lips drawing his attention. 

"You.. You look.. pale," she whispered softly, a bit of worry in her voice.

He scoffed lightly, turning his head away from her to stare at the door, "I'm always pale..," although he couldn't resist a small smile and whispered back, "..I'm always _bone_ white."

Her pout turned to a grimace and she snorted lightly, "No, dummy. Not like that. You look.. worse. If that's even possible."

"Gee, thanks," he huffed sarcastically, although his teasing tone made her slightly more at ease.

"Not like that! You just.. you don't look so good, and you're really warm." 

Bony hand met bony forehead as he tried to feel the rising heat. A bead of sweat he didn't know surfaced ran down his skull, and his head throbbed painfully, forcing him to hunch over into himself. He heard the girl's small, panicked squeak before he felt two fleshy hands urging him to lie back down. Too tired to protest, he allowed her to guide him back to the floor before she mumbled a quick apology and ran from the room, the soft thudding in the distance confirming her absence. Papyrus moved to his side speaking gentle words of comfort despite the worry etched into his skull.

His eye lights dimmed once more as he closed his eyes, bony hands moving to bunch in the soft blanket she had covered him with moments before. He didn't know how long she had been gone, only remembering her return as she placed a cool, wet cloth on his forehead and urged him to sit up. She passed him a tiny cup filled with a dark, thick liquid that stunk to high heavens and nearly made him puke. Although, absently he reminded himself there was nothing to come up.

Weakly, he pushed the cup away, murmuring hushed denials of the strange goop. 

"I don't want it," he groaned dejectedly.

Frisk merely huffed and pushed it closer to his teeth, "Stop being such a baby! It's just medicine!"

Sans whined again, muttering something that sounded vaguely like an I'm fine, but quickly degenerated into a small coughing fit. Alarmed, she gently pat his back, trying her best to mimic her mother's actions when she would get sick. She stroked his back calmly until his fit stopped before pushing the cup to him once more. 

"Please, take it," she whispered quietly, noting how Papyrus was staring at the two worriedly. Moving closer to the hole where his ear would be, she spoke lowly so as not to worry the younger skeleton, "If not for yourself, then for him."

That was all the convincing he needed as he reluctantly took the cup and downed it's contents, grimacing at its bitter taste and gagging briefly in disgust. A glass of water was offered, and he gratefully accepted, hastily drinking the tasteless liquid, glad to no longer taste the gross medicine. His gaze moved to Papyrus who was watching him anxiously, tears beginning to form in his sockets.

"Is he gonna be okay?" The tiny skeleton spoke, his voice wavering with worry. 

Sans gave a small smile and squeezed his hand gently, "Yeah, Paps. I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

Papyrus looked doubtful, but nodded and squeezed back tighter. The girl's soft voice spoke hesitantly, "Get some sleep. The nasty stuff will make you sleepy and it should work better when you go to bed."

He nodded, and turned to regard her small form as she readjusted the cool cloth, "Thank you.. uhm.."

"Frisk." She smiled weakly.

"Frisk.. thank you.." He mumbled as sleep began to cloud his mind, forcing him to the land of dreams once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Long time no see. I don't want to bore you with excuses as to why I haven't been here. Truth is I'm just a lazy sack of shit and didn't have any motivation to think up the next chapter. I'm working on it. Hope y'all enjoyed :)


	4. Sick

Frisk moved away slowly, hesitant to leave the skeletons alone, but there were urgent matters to attend to. With a small smile, she gently spoke to Papyrus, telling him to behave and stay as quiet as possible for the time being. His little hand hurriedly swiped his tears away before giving her a hopeful smile. She reached down to tenderly pat the top of his head, his eyes widening in surprise and elation at the gentle comfort. He leaned into her touch briefly before her warmth left his skull and she stood to leave the room. She paused momentarily to pick up the cleared plates and look back over her shoulder to the young monster still sitting beside his brother on the floor.

"Papyrus, no matter what you need to stay here until I say so, okay?"

He nodded and gave her the brightest smile he could muster. She returned his smile with one of her own before softly shutting the closet door. She quietly scurried from the room, her heart racing as she hurried into the kitchen and grabbed her stool to set up by the sink. Being short was a pain, but she climbed on quickly and got to work scrubbing the dishes, her mind focusing on the task at hand. She couldn't afford to waste time, her parents would probably be waking up soon and she needed to clean up the house as best she could. She doubted they would be pleased to see their cabin in such disarray, and more importantly, she needed to cover up any traces of the two monsters in their home.

She rinsed the dishes and set them in the drying rack beside the sink before climbing down and looking around the kitchen. Her lips fell to a frown as she noticed the dried muddy boot prints on the kitchen floor, and with an inward sigh she chastised herself for being so unaware of her surroundings last night. 

She quickly grabbed a bucket from the pantry nearby and filled it with soap and water before digging underneath the sink for a scrub brush. With the cleaning supplies in hand, she bent down onto the floor and scrubbed harshly against the dirtied tile. It wasn't hard to clean the mess, but she couldn't help but sigh as she regretfully acknowledged the fact that she had been careless. Although, she told herself, to be fair she was carrying two freezing cold and bone tired skeletons, one of which was scarily close to.. well she wouldn't think on that.

Her arms carried on the task meticulously and without any real focus on her part, and as the tile sparkled and gleaned once more, she sighed and tossed the scrubber into the bucket before checking the time. The microwave nearby flashed nine-thirty in green numbering and with a mostly inaudible groan, she dumped out the bucket and put the supplies away before grabbing a plastic bag and began throwing away carelessly tossed beer cans, used paper plates and cups, and crumbs that littered the kitchen counters.

A low groan startled her and she quickly threw the garbage into the trashcan before her father woke up. She frowned and scurried to make a glass of water for the waking man that grumbled and hissed at the bright light filtering in through the windows. Her little legs moved quickly as she hurried into the room and set down the glass before turning on her heel to scurry away. Her father's annoyed grunt caught her attention, and as she turned back, the man sighed as he clutched his throbbing head before sitting up.

Frisk watched warily as the man sat up and took the offered glass before moving to down it all in one swig. Short, choppy hair was fisted in one hand, it's normally bright almond color a bit faded with grey patches on either side of his head. His amber eyes were a bit unfocused as they squinted in the unrelenting light, a hand moving to cover the abused organs while he slowly came to. He must have overdone it last night judging the large bags under his eyes and pale skin. Frisk rolled her eyes, glad that he hadn't yet noticed her presence. Her father was a real glutton for punishment, the man knew no limits when it came to his liquor, and every time he so much as picked up a bottle, he was sure to be absolutely wrecked the next day. 

Despite all of that however, he was still her father. The same goofy man that tucked her in at night, did everything he could to make her happy, and showered her and her mother with tons of love and affection. Her father may not be perfect, but he was a kind man, the person she trusted most in the world.

Frisk moved closer to him as she peered up into his honeyed gaze, "Daddy, are you feeling okay?"

He grumbled something incoherent, his chubby face swiveling in her direction. His large hand settled atop her hair and ruffled lightly while she squeaked in protest.

"Daddy's fine, princess. Just.. a bit tired is all," he gave her a weary smile as she snorted and set to work smoothing down her hair, moving away as he moved to stand.

It took everything he had not to crumple to the floor as his foot snagged on the nearby coffee table, a long string of expletives following suit as he hobbled on one foot.

"Dad, language!" 

He sighed and rubbed his sore foot, casting a sheepish smile to the scowling girl, "Sorry, princess. Why don't you go ahead and wash up for breakfast while I wake up mommy, ok?"

"Okay," A smile crossed her features, her arms falling from her chest as she skipped back to the kitchen. She went to wash her hands while her dad shuffled around the living room, no doubt rousing the sleeping woman curled up on the recliner. As she dried her hands a muffled groan accompanied the sound of footsteps as her father appeared in the kitchen, a strikingly beautiful woman clinging to his arm. Her long raven locks were slightly mussed from being slept on all night, a few tangles snagging on the back of her head even as the woman ran her hand through it to little avail. Her brilliant blue eyes were narrowed against the harsh morning light, but softened considerably as her gaze fell to her little girl, a smile tugging against smudged ruby red lips. 

Frisk smiled at the two as she went to fix her mother a glass of water, the gesture not going unnoticed as the woman smiled softly down at her daughter before taking the cup from her tiny grasp.

"Thank you, darling," her mother spoke quietly, the musical lilt in her voice both soothing and captivating. 

She nodded her head and went to sit at the table as her father guided her mother to her seat before moving on to fix his family a quick breakfast, something quick and easy since he still felt like death warmed up. 

Frisk picked up a couple crayons that had been left out overnight and cracked open a coloring book to pass the time while her father got breakfast ready. Her mother watched her, smiling softly before moving to go to the restroom and freshen up. The little girl paid them no mind as she happily colored away, filling in horses and rainbows haphazardly as only a child would do. Green horses, pink suns, orange rivers, it didn't matter what they were supposed to be but rather the joy of her imagination. Yet, after coloring for a few minutes she began to get rather bored of the same old pictures, they were no longer exciting enough to hold her attention. After all, she had saved two monsters last night, and they were much more interesting than a silly cartoon dinosaur.

Not really paying any attention, she began to draw her new skeleton friends, her face unknowingly lighting up as she worked on staring the tying skeleton first, his small form smiling happily and arm outstretched to hold hands with his taller brother, who's large grin was brightly displayed for all to see. Soon she drew grassy hills around them with flowers all around, her little mind so focused on the task that she didn't notice her father set down a bowl of oatmeal in front of her or her mother's approach. Only when her mother's voice sounded from above her did she quickly look up, her baby blue eyes catching her mother's sapphire orbs. 

"That's a.. pretty drawing, honey. But why don't you put your crayons away and eat some breakfast?"

Frisk nodded and closed the book quickly, putting her crayons away before moving to grab her bowl of oatmeal. A grimace crossed her lips as she spooned a helping of the thick oats into her mouth, not even the added blueberry and cinnamon able to drown out the liquidy goop on her tastebuds. Her father frowned as he ate his own, "Sorry, princess. Daddy doesn't feel too well today."

"Yeah, but this is still pretty gross, dad."

He sighed and gave her a half-hearted smile, "If you eat it all today then I'll make your favorite tomorrow. How's that sound?"

Her eyes went wide and a grin nearly split her face in half, "Cinnamon Roll Pancakes?"

At his nod she quickly scooped up more oatmeal and forced herself to eat every last bit, much to her mother's amusement. Breakfast passed quickly between the three, mostly in silence since her parents were trying to nurse their hangovers. It was only when her bowl was cleared that she asked to be excused from the table, to which her parents agreed after telling her they would be going to lie down and to please keep it down. She nodded and scurried back to her room, her bowl and drawing forgotten in her haste to check on the skeletons once more.

After shutting her bedroom door, she made her way back into the closet to find the little skeleton watching over his big brother, his tiny bones rubbing soothing circles on his brother's bony hand. Their gazes met as he watched her approach, her eyes falling to his brother with barely repressed concern. Kneeling by his side, she gently removed the now warmed cloth and felt his forehead which was still far too warm to be good. Quietly, she tip toed out of the room to rinse the cloth under cold water, only to stop and listen to her parent's hushed voices coming from the kitchen.

"I'm worried, Richard. She shouldn't be drawing things like that.."

"Nonsense," her father spoke, his tone one of gentle reassurance, "she's just a child, Kath. She probably just drew something she learned in school."

Her mother's sigh reached her ears, "If you say so.. but it just doesn't sit right with me. She shouldn't know about things like that yet. Plus, it's a bit.. creepy.."

Her father's laugh broke the tension she felt and Frisk barely caught his teasing words towards his mother as she slipped into the bathroom and refreshed the cloth. Hurrying back to her room, she went back to Sans' side, lying the cloth on his forehead once more and tucking him in again.

"He'll be okay, right?" 

Frisk nodded, her eyes never leaving Sans' body, "Yeah, he'll be okay. He just needs to rest."

Papyrus nodded and left her to her own devices, sleep overriding his senses as he curled up by his brother's side and fell into the world of dreams. Frisk on the other hand, stayed awake by his side, moving only to refresh the cloth or bring him water on the odd times he would wake up. He never seemed to want to stay still, and it was only with threats of not getting better and reminders of his brother's worry that convinced the elder monster to rest and recuperate. It was odd caring for a skeleton, but not very much different to that of a human. Her fascination overcame her many a time throughout her caring for the monster.

It was odd, but he would sweat just as any human would do if they had a fever. He moaned and weighed in pain as anyone else would do. His hands, the bones that they were, would bunch under the blanket as if he were uncomfortable, his reactions were that of any other person. She found herself clutching his hand more often than not, whispering words of comfort and support, although at times she was unsure if he heard her throughout his restless sleep. 

He really wasn't that much different than that of a human boy aside from the lack of flesh. She could see the pain etched into his skull, the grimace he took on as his fever climbed steadily higher over the hours that passed. Thankfully Papyrus hadn't woken up since his nap a few hours ago, the way his brother was acting now would have been enough to drive the younger monster to tears. Even now as Frisk sat by his side, she watched the rapid rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket, the sweat clung to his skull before running in rivulets down his face, the way his hands balled to fists in the fabric covering him.

Tenderly, her touch featherlight, she mopped his brow, her mind working out some plan to care for the distressed skeleton. Her fears grew with each ragged breath he took, each shuddering sigh that passed his teeth. Her gaze flickered to Papyrus who was still sleeping soundly beside Sans. Her brow furrowed and her thoughts ran a mile a minute as she decided on the best course of action. With a barely hidden sigh, she gripped Sans' wrists, pulling him upward until she could better maneuver his body. Pushing him against the wall, she sat him up and left to make sure the coast was clear.

No one was in the hallway as she approached her parent's bedroom door. Soft snores filled the otherwise silent cabin and with a shaky breath, she went back to gather the older skeleton. It was hard to do and it took quite a bit of time to manage to carry Sans on her back, but once she did, she hurried from her room into the bathroom and set him down on the toilet seat before going back to gather Papyrus in her arms. His little eyes came into focus only when he heard the sound of running water and he looked around the strange room they were in.

He recognized it as a bathroom, but it was much more spacious than any he had seen before. The wood paneling on the sides were a bright cherry wood that matched well with the red tiling of the floor. The tub that was rapidly filling with water was bigger than any other he knew of, little bottles of different colors littering the sides of the tub. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but one look at his brother had him shifting in her arms in a panic to get to him.

"Stop squirming. You'll fall," Frisk whispered before setting him down on his feet. "He's too warm, Paps. We gotta cool him down, okay?"

Papyrus nodded, his eye lights resting on Sans' trembling form, a sharp rush of air passing his teeth in a shaky sigh, "Okay. Please, help him!"

Frisk nodded and moved forward gently tugging the sweater dress over Sans' head before taking off the thick socks and mittens. Once he was clad only in his shorts, she turned back to the bath that had finished filling and turned off the tap. Carefully, she picked Sans up in heir arms before setting him inside the tub. Right away he began to sink, his unconscious body too short and too heavy to float, so with a startled yelp, she dove forward, splashing herself with the frigid water in the process, as she hauled him above the water. Her body shook in response to the icy water, but with a concerned look and frustrated sigh, she climbed into the tub behind the skeleton, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him flush against her chest so that he lay back on her small frame. They stayed that way, back-to-chest until she couldn't stand it any longer. Shaking, she brought a chilled hand to his forehead, marveling at how well his temperature dropped, and with a smile, she withdrew her hand back to her side.

It had been torture, plain and simple. The water froze every inch of her submerged skin, her fingers numb from how long she stayed in the water. Teeth chattering, she looked to Papyrus, "P-P-Paps. G-G-grab t-towels."

The little skeleton nodded and moved to the sink where two large and fluffy towels waited. With a jump, he managed to snag one of the towels and moved to the tub where Frisk had begun to pull the two of them out of the water, soaking the floor as she carefully climbed out onto the slippery tile. Papyrus rushed over, handing the towel over to Frisk where she began to dry Sans' face before moving on to his torso, gently wiping at the moisture that clung to his bones. She carefully wiped his legs and with a frown, realized he would be soaked below his pants. With a huff, she pouted and looked away a small blush on her cheeks as she thought about how to dry him. 

She glanced over at Papyrus and smiled nervously before mustering the courage to ask, "Papyrus, could you help him? I need you to take off his shorts and wrap this around his waist. Please?"

The little skeleton frowned and tilted his head, "Um, sure.. but.. why can't you do it?"

Frisk's face flushed deeper as she looked away, uncertain of how to approach the situation, "W-Well, Pap's, i-its not right for a girl to uhm.. to uh, to see a boy naked. Momma told me not to let anybody do that in front of me."

He merely frowned, "But, we're bone.. why does it matter?"

Biting back a groan of embarrassment, she mumbled, "Please, Paps, just take his pants off and wrap this around his waist okay?"

"Well, okay. But that's still pretty weird."

She sighed and looked upward as she held Sans up for Papyrus to disrobe, only looking down once the towel was secured tightly around his hips. Setting him down on the toilet seat, she scurried into her room to dry herself and change her clothes before heading back and picking up the older monster. Guiding Papyrus, they made their way back to her room before she dressed Sans in another outfit, unfortunately this one far more girly than the last. 

The bright pink sweater covered his chest nicely, the long sleeves covering all of his arms and hands, which lacked mittens this time, since he had been so warm. Instead of long pajama pants, she handed Papyrus a pair of her shorts and after another embarrassing squabble, he was dressed in short black shorts that reached above his knee. The trio moved back to the closet where Frisk moved Sans to a different spot, the last being soaked in sweat and crusted with dirt. She made sure to bring him a warm blanket and plenty of pillows before lying him down on the floor gently. Another brief inspection revealed that his fever had broken, his chest rose and fell still a bit unsteady, but it was far less labored than it had been. With a smile, she rose from her spot beside him and tended to Papyrus, the little skeleton excitedly babbling about the cool bathroom and exciting soaps he had seen. It was only as Frisk brought along her coloring book and crayons that the little monster relaxed and enjoyed a luxury he had never been given, with the knowledge that everything was going to be okay now.


	5. Kindness

Sans awoke the next morning, well at least he considered it to be morning since he could hear the gentle chirping of birds and the soft snores coming from beside him. With a muffled groan he slowly sat up clutching his skull as a pounding headache made its presence known. Glancing down he made note of Papyrus' small form curled up in a ball, his bony thumb in his mouth. A small smile crossed his features as he tenderly patted his younger brother on the head before tucking him in a bit tighter.

With a stifled yawn, he rose from the floor, stretching languidly as his vertebrae shifted and popped pleasantly. He couldn't suppress a shiver at the chilly morning air that caressed his bones, forcing him to wrap the blanket at his feet around himself for warmth. With deliberate slowness, he padded to the door, peeking through the slats as he took in their surroundings. He could see many dolls scattered among the floor, little toy cars and stuffed animals haphazardly littering the floor amongst random piles of clothes. The floor, he noted, was carpeted just as the closet was with plush white fuzz. The walls were painted a bright purple, which suit the girl just fine he supposed. Speaking of, he turned his gaze to the full sized bed where a mop of dark brown hair hung over one side as the figure sleeping beneath the barbie bedspread had moved around carelessly, one leg dangling off the side as she flailed out like a starfish. If he were quiet enough he could catch the gentle sounds of her breathing, the sound somewhat soothing as he realized she held no ill will towards him and his brother, which was silly he knew, but these days he ahead to be more careful than ever, especially since this was the first time a human had ever shown them even a shred of kindness.

His gaze flickered to the windows on either side of her bed, noting the early morning's rays filtering through, the pinkish glow bouncing off the lilac walls and bathing the room in serene colors. At first he didn't notice anything unusual, but after a few moments of forcing himself to awaken, he realized that the hail storm had ended some time ago. With a smile, he moved back to his brother before settling down and huddling under the blanket, his soul for once at peace as he silently basked in the feeling of security and peace. It wasn't long before he drifted off into a light sleep, his mind content and hope blooming in his chest.

~oOo~

A little after Sans had fallen back asleep, Frisk woke up with a yawn and stretch, her feet numbed by the cold air. With a small groan, she hoisted herself upright, her long locks tangled and ratty against her scalp, no doubt from the tossing and turning all night. Sleep hadn't come easy to the little girl, her thoughts troubled by worry for the older monster. Even though his fever had broke, she couldn't help but fear for his life, seeing as he was fairly thin and health frail.

Rubbing her sleep filled eyes, she slowly crawled out of bed, tiptoeing to the closet where the two monsters resided. When all she heard were the slight snores coming from inside, she made her way in, coming to a stop in front of the older skeleton. Kneeling down, she couldn't help but look over his features, noting with relief that he seemed less pale than he had been, the hollows of his cheeks less pronounced than they had been in days. Although It was strange that his face changed with his sickness, she chalked it up to their near starvation and constant fleeing that caused them to seem so weak and malnourished, though truthfully she was unsure what they were supposed to look like when they were healthy. Gingerly, a hand came up to press softly against his forehead, a smile tugging at her lips as he felt good, no longer burning hot nor freezing cold. 

She blinked as a pair of white eye lights caught her stare, and she quickly pulled her hand away, a small blush staining her cheeks as she realized she was caught.

"Ah, uhm, s-sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.."

He shook his head, a small smile on his face, "I'm fine, thank you. How long was I out?"

"O-oh, not long.." She murmured, scooting back to make room between them. Nervously, she shifted in place, eyes averted as she fumbled for something to say. Sans' stomach cove that moment to growl loudly, starting the attention of them both. Frisk couldn't help the smile on her face as she noticed him turn his head to the side, a faint was of blue tinting his cheeks. 

"S-sorry.. I guess it's been a minute since I've eaten."

"Oh, that's all right. If you give me a few minutes I'll see about fixing us some breakfast, okay?"

Sans looked back, his eyes widening in surprise, "Oh, um, yeah. Sounds great."

She nodded and rose to her feet, casting a quick glance to the little monster beside him before heading out of the closet. Quietly she made her way to the kitchen as she followed the tantalizing smell of cinnamon and syrup. She stopped as her mother called her namr and swooped her up into her arms.

"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep last night?" 

With a giggle, she nuzzled I to her mother's embrace, "Pretty good, mama. What about you and daddy? Are you two doing better?"

Her father glanced over from the stove, his tired eyes lighting up as he took in the lovely picture that his wife and daughter made, "We're fine, princess. Breakfast is almost ready, so why don't you go ahead and wash up?"

Frisk smiled and scrambled from her mother's grasp, making a dash to the bathroom where she quickly brushed her hair and teeth, feeling much better after her morning breath and rat's nest had been tamed. Her father's voice called out to her to come and eat, and with a bright smile she did just that, rushing to her seat and practically thrumming with happiness as a plate piled high with sticky, sweet cinnamon roll pancakes were sat in front of her. Diving in, her mother only laughed and told her to slow down before she made herself sick, and Frisk obliged, a pink tint to her cheeks and a muffled sorry to her parents.

The little trio ate happily, pleasant conversation filling the time as they discussed different things such as school, activities they had planned for the remainder of their New Year's vacation, and what they planned to do when they returned home. Frisk couldn't help but stiffen as they talked about leaving in the next week or so, her gaze flickering to the doorway. What would the skeletons do? Surely they couldn't stay by themselves could they? Well they had been by themselves for a long time now, so it probably wouldn't even cross their minds to care, but Frisk couldn't help the anxiety that filled her as she thought of leaving the two monsters alone.

Her mother watched Frisk worriedly, a frown on her face as she called her daughter's name a few times until the little girl finally turned her way, "Frisk, baby, what's the matter? You look pale.."

Frisk couldn't stop the dizziness that flooded her, a shaky laugh escaping her, "Its nothing, mama. I just don't feel so good is all."

Her mother frowned further, standing up and moving to her daughter to feel her forehead, "You are a bit warm, honey. Why don't we get you back to bed, okay?"

Frisk nodded and climbed down from the table and wobbled a little. She grasped her mother's hand as the two made their way down the hall to her room where her mother tucked her into bed with a kiss to her forehead. Her mother looked on worriedly as her daughter trembled beneath the covers.

"You should get some rest, love. Maybe we shouldn't go out today.."

Frisk shook her head, "Don't worry, mama. I'll be okay."

Her mother tenderly stroked her hair, soothing the little girl's nerves a tad, "Are you sure, baby? Will you be fine for a few hours while we run to the store?"

Frisk nodded again, "Yeah, I will. I'm just gonna take a nap until you guys get back."

Her mother frowned, but nodded, "If you're sure.."

She nodded once more, her eyes drifting to the closet before she looked back to her mother, "I'll be fine, mama." She faked a yawn and snuggled deeper under the covers, waiting until the sound of her mother's sigh and door closing softly reached her ears. She dared not move until she heard the front door close, locking on their way out. Once she realized she was finally alone she headed to the closet, opening the door excitedly. Two pairs of white eyes met hers and she smiled happily.

"Okay, guys. Who's ready for breakfast?"

Papyrus practically flew to his feet, his eyes wide with excitement, "Oh golly, breakfast sounds great!"

Sans' smile widened considerably at his brother's behavior, his eyes finding hers as he rose to his feet, "Breakfast would be wonderful, thank you."

Frisk nodded and walked out the closet, looking back over her shoulder She smiled at the two of them, "Well come on then. We have the house to ourselves for a few hours, so why don't you stretch your legs? Besides, staying in a closet is pretty boring, huh?"

Sans laughed softly, the sound making Frisk blush lightly, before grasping his excited brother's hand and following their host to the kitchen, "We'll take whatever we can get. It beats sleeping on the streets."

Her smile faded as she looked back at the monsters, her heart sinking at the thought of the two sleeping out in the cold. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she stubbornly held back so as not to offend them with what they would probably assume was pity. She forced a smile back on her face as they watched her carefully before turning around and grabbing her stool so she could reach the leftover pancakes on the counter. Thankfully her father had forgot to wrap and put them away, so she scooped up the plate and handed it off to the older monster, his eyes widening at the sheer amount of pancakes they made. Frisk giggled at the look of awe on his face as she climbed down from her stool.

"Yeah, dad tends to go overboard on food. Between he and I we usually eat ourselves sick."

He nodded, giving her a small smile, "I see. Would you like some more?"

She shook her head, moving to take the pancakes and place them on the table where two plates were waiting, "Nah, I'm fine. You guys go sit down and eat, okay? Afterwards you're more than welcome to take a bath if you'd like."

The two monsters eyes lit up and goofy grins were shared, "That sounds wonderful! Thank you!"

She laughed softly, watching as the two monsters dug into their breakfast, happy moans and murmured praises filling the otherwise silence since they were far too hungry to carry on conversation. Frisk made herself busy by washing the rest of the dishes from earlier, hoping to hide any traces of her guests from her parents, plus it gave them time to really enjoy their surroundings without someone's watchful eyes. The sound of chairs moving made her pause, looking over her shoulder as a satisfied skeleton collected their plates and moved to the sink.

"Need some help?"

Frisk shook her head, a small smile on her face, "I got it. Why don't you and Papyrus go wash up? It seems like he could really use a bath now."

Papyrus smiled widely, his face thoroughly covered in maple syrup, "It was soooo good!"

The human and skeleton laughed at the younger monster's sticky face before Sans turned to Frisk with a bright smile, "I'll take you up on that offer." He walked over to his brother, scooping him up into strong arms, "Alright bro, let's get you cleaned up."

As the two walked out, Frisk called over her shoulder, "Towels are in the hall closet! The shampoo is blue and the soap is orange!"

A muffled 'thanks' reached her ears and she giggled softly as she turned back to finish the rest of the dishes, happier than ever that the two monsters seemed to be feeling better.

~oOo~

Sans carried a content Papyrus to the bathroom, with the little monster's instructions, and grabbed a couple of towels on the way in. Looking around, he took in the cozy space with awe. The room was far nicer than any other that he had ever seen, the red wood seeming to warm and brighten the space considerably. His phalanges clicked softly on the tile as he carried a somewhat sleepy Papyrus to the tub, setting him down gently as he set to work figuring out the knobs to run a bath.

It didn't take long before he had the water nice and warm, a small smile on his face as he filled the tub, even taking a small bit of the bubble soap he saw nearby and dumping it in the water, a nice layer of foamy bubbles covering the surface much to Papyrus' delight. Sans watched as his brother splashed around in the water, scooping up handfuls of bubbles and tossing them into the air, giggling as they floated down once more. Papyrus had never had so much fun taking a bath before, never before had they had the luxury of bubble soap, seeing as they were constantly on the move and baths were few and far between, so he would make the most of it while he could.

The sound of his brother's voice brought him back from his thoughts as he watched him come closer to the edge, "C'mere, Paps. Let's get you cleaned up now, okay?"

The little monster nodded, but not before scooping up a big pile of bubbles and dumping them on Sans' head, laughing as they dripped down his skull in a foamy mess. Sans sighed, but the playful smile he held made Papyrus laugh and giggle while he moved away from the bigger skeleton, "Catch me if you can!"

Sans laughed and quickly took off his clothes, climbing in after the wily monster, moving to catch Papyrus while he squealed and shouted as he moved away from Sans' grasp. After a few minutes of playing, Sans scooped up his younger brother with a playful growl, smiling as Papyrus shrieked with laughter before bringing him within washing range.

"All right, ya little monster, let's get you cleaned up," he smiled as he grabbed a nearby washcloth and proceeded to scrub his brother's head, taking care to be gentle since he was far stronger than his brother. Papyrus behaved as Sans cleaned his face, sighing contentedly as he played with the suds below him, not noticing the dirt that flowed freely from his skull; however Sans did and it took everything in him not to frown, afraid that Papyrus would notice and worry.

It wasn't the first time that Sans cursed his inability to provide for his brother, and unfortunately it wouldn't be his last, but as he took in Papyrus' small form once more he fought back the tears that threatened to spill forth. He really was far too thin, his bones so small and frail, and it made his soul clench painfully as he feared for his only brother. There was no way they could continue on as they were, it was bad enough that they were practically chased out everywhere they went, but the years of scavenging and pilfering had taken their toll on the two monsters and it wouldn't be long before they could take no more. As it was, Sans soul was greatly weakened by the lack of consistent meals and frequent illnesses that came from years of being homeless, and if it carried on then.. 

Then there would be nothing left.

A lone tear trailed down his cheek as he fought back a sob, his soul trembling violently in his chest as he fought down his fears in order to care for Papyrus. It wasn't long until the little monster was clean, and with a sigh, he quickly washed himself, noting far less dirt than he had expected, which reminded him that he had been in a new set of clothes this morning. His overworked mind ached terribly as he tried to put the pieces together, but the overwhelming emotions had already done a number on him, so with a sigh, he climbed out of the tub and made sure Papyrus was dried thoroughly, so he wouldn't catch a chill, before draining the tub and drying himself, his questions saved for later.

When the two were wrapped snugly in the towels, Sans poked his head out the door, looking around the hall for Frisk. When he didn't see her, he frowned and called out hesitantly.

"Hey, Frisk?"

It took a few moments before a muffled 'Yeah?' was heard, but when he did he sighed, "Uh, sorry to ask, but do you have anything that we could wear?"

The soft sounds of scurrying were heard before Frisk came into view, smiling happily as she held out a fluffy sweater dress for Sans and a shrunken t-shirt for Papyrus. Although he inwardly groaned at the brightly pink sweater dress, he smiled and happily took the clothes, grateful that they had anything to wear at all.

"Thank you, Frisk."

She nodded and stepped away, blushing slightly as she ran off. He looked after her curiously before shrugging and retreating back to the bathroom to get dressed. The two emerged afterward, carrying their dirty clothes and looking around for Frisk. The two walked around the house hesitantly, but soon found her in a small little room tucked away in the corner of the house, closing an odd contraption as they walked in.

"Oh, hey guys! Sorry again about the clothes, but your stuff should be dry soon."

He shook his head and gave her a small smile, "Thank you, you've done more than enough. We're just grateful that you cared enough to save us."

Her face flushed with embarrassment and she laughed nervously, "W-well, I couldn't just leave you guys. What kind of person could do something like that?"

His eyes darkened and his smile fell, eyes shifting to Papyrus as he slowly exhaled, "All the others.."

He looked back up after he heard her gasp, he took in the look of shock and horror on her face, silently marveling at how expressive she was.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. That was pretty rude of me.."

"No, it's not your fault," He sighed, "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry for everything, for being a burden on you and making you lie to your family. You've done more than enough to help us and for that we'll be forever grateful, so thank you, Frisk. We'll be out of here by nightfall if that's okay with you."

His words must have thoroughly confused her, for when their gazes met he could see the anxiousness and curiosity in her eyes. For a moment he thought he could see a flash of disappointment, but as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving him bewildered.

"Where will you go?"

He shrugged, fighting the urge to snap back at her question even though he knew she was sincere, "Who knows, the world is huge and we've got the time. The world is our oyster."

She nodded, a frown on her face, and for a moment he was sure she was about to say something, but before she could, the machine behind her let out a shrill cry, one that had Sans pushing Papyrus behind him in worry. Frisk just let out a shaky giggle and turned to the machine, a dryer, she explained, and pulled out their now dry clothes.

"Here," she offered the now warm clothes, "go ahead and change if you like. I.. I'll be in my room."

With that said, she brushed past them and down the hall out of sight. The two monsters looked at each other and frowned, worried about the little girl, but resigned themselves to putting on their regular clothes and smiling happily as warmth seeped into their bones. It was a treat to be able to enjoy something so small as warm clothes, a bath, and a belly full of food. The two felt better than they had in years and it was all thanks to the little human girl in the other room.

Sans found it odd that she had taken the time to save them where as others would have left them for dead, but he found himself thinking that she would do just about anything to help anyone in need. Maybe it was the innocence of a child? 

His pondering was interrupted by a bony hand tugging his coat sleeve. He bent down to grasp his brother's shoulders as his little eyes were filled with sprouting tears.

"What's the matter, bro?"

Papyrus sniffled lightly, his eye lights wavering as he stared up at Sans, "Do we really have to leave?"

A heavy sigh left him as he pulled his brother into a strong embrace, "Yeah.. we do. We can't stay here forever. Besides, she has a life to live and it's best if we weren't in it."

The tiny monster sobbed quietly, his small form shaking in Sans arms as he held on tightly, "I-I don't w-want to leave! It's so n-nice here and s-she's been so k-kind.."

"I know, bro. I know.."

Sans could do nothing but hold Papyrus close as he wept for the place they would leave behind, the sweet human girl that they would have to part with, and the realization that they would be back out on the streets in a matter of hours. It crushed his soul to see his brother cry, an overwhelming surge of failure filling him as he clung to the shaking monster all the while trying to give him support and strength for their upcoming departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I'm trying to keep updating fairly quickly right now since I've got a general idea where I want this story to go. This sounds silly I'm sure, but I don't have my stories typically planned out start to finish. Usually when I get an idea I write it out and the plot develops from there, so sometimes the updates might be few and far between while I figure it out. Hopefully this doesn't discourage you, but if it does then thank you for reading this far! Your comments have been so sweet and supportive and I'm so happy to hear you guys are enjoying the story so far! 
> 
> (Also, I know this story has mainly been them as kids and their meeting, but it won't stay that way forever. We gotta move on some time haha)


	6. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mind made up, Sans takes his baby brother and leaves the human to live her life, but what happens when bonds aren't so easily severed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I want to say thank you to everyone who has read thus far and as a little treat I want to start recognizing the wonderful people who have supported this story. Every chapter I update I'll be dedicating to a reader. So for this chapter I want to dedicate this to my very first reader: Cell0113!

By the time Papyrus had finished crying, he was out like a light, the belly full of food and the warmth in his bones lulling him to sleep despite his worries. Sans on the other hand had no such luck, and with a sigh, he resigned himself to tuck Papyrus in the closet and look after the little human girl that had saved their lives.

He found her curled up in her bed, her small form almost hidden from sight as she hugged her knees to her chest, a cat plushie held in her other hand as she cradled it close to her face. She looked so pitiful and as the sounds of muffled sobbing reached him, he couldn't help but climb onto the bed, taking a seat right beside her. 

He knew that she was aware of his presence, but she wouldn't move, didn't dare look into his eyes. Her sobs grew in volume as he gently patted her back, her small form curling even tighter as he sat beside her all the while, trying his best to comfort the fragile girl.

His pats did little to soothe her, but he stayed by her side until the tears had stopped coming, and a light snore reached his ears. 

Seems she had fallen asleep, just like Paps funnily enough. With deliberate slowness, he slid off the bed and sank to the floor clutching his skull in his hands, the weight of his actions bringing on an unwelcome migraine that nearly left him debilitated.

Forcing the pain to the back of his mind, he began to pick up the multitude of clothes on her floor, folding them in neat little piles by the bed. It was the least he could do for her after all. Some small act to repay the unconditional kindness she had showed them.

Hours passed as he folded, put them away, and sank to the floor once more by her bedside. He had long since given up fighting the tears, and succumbed to his grief.

Life had been especially cruel to he and his brother, and now that they had found a smidge of kindness in this dreary world, he was making them leave. It was for the best, after all, she had her own life to live just as they had theirs. Their paths were never meant to coincide, merely a stroke of luck that had befallen the miserable monsters, and yet.. he felt drawn to the little human girl. 

As if hearing his thoughts, shuffling on the bed reached his ears, and a desperate voice called out to him.

"Sans.. n-no..." Her voice whispered, her body thrashing underneath the blanket much to his confusion. With a sense of urgency he didn't quite understand, he crawled onto her bed and pulled down the covers, moving to grab her tiny fist in his bony grasp.

He shushed her, whispering soothing words to the distraught girl as she whimpered and clutched his hand with near desperation. He smiled softly, reaching down to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Shh.. it's all right, Frisk. I'm here," he repeated over and over, like a mantra, until she quieted down, her body resting close to his.

He smiled down at the girl still clinging to his hand.

 _Would it really be so bad to stay here with her? She was kind, and sweet_ , his thoughts paused momentarily as she brought his hand closer a smile spreading across her lips as she whispered his name.

_and.. cute.._

He shook his head and pulled his hand away sadly, moving to climb off the bed. He had to end this, and the sooner the better. He couldn't afford to get attached to a human child, especially since he had a child of his own to care for.

With a forlorn sigh and a heavy heart, he grabbed a piece of paper nearby and scrawled a few lines on it, signing his name and folding it in her hand before moving it under the blanket, hoping that it wouldn't be found by anyone but her.

A quick glance out the window showed a darkening sky, and with a dull ache in his heart, he tenderly patted her head before whispering, "So long, kid. Thank you for everything."

With that said, he scooped Papyrus off the closet floor and bundled him up in his furred jacket before leaving through the sliding glass door in the kitchen. He walked off into the night, disappearing through into the treeline, trying not to let the pain in his chest slow his departure. It would be pitch black soon and he would need to find shelter before then so that they could have at least a decent night's sleep. 

A lone crow cawed loudly in the distance, the sound only seeming to bring out more doubts from the big skeleton, his mind racing and his heart aching.

_Please let this be the right decision.._

~oOo~

Frisk awoke a few hours later, dazed and confused as a blaring noise echoed across the cabin from down the hall, the sound droning on until she forced herself out of bed, her life feet carrying her to the living room where a phone was lighting up brightly. Rubbing her eyes, she checked the caller ID and answered groggily before pulling an oddly stuck piece of paper off her face.

"Hello..?"

"Hi, princess," her father's voice echoed back, "Your mother and I are running a bit behind. Are you feeling okay?"

She smiled and yawned, "Yes, dad. I'm okay. What time are you guys coming home?"

"Ah, it'll be just a few more hours, baby. Will you be all right by yourself until then?"

She frowned, looking down at the crumpled paper in her hand, "uh.. yeah, dad. I'll be fine.."

"Okay, princess. We'll be home in a bit. Be good while we're gone. Love you."

Her heart sank as she skimmed the paper, but managed to give back a strained 'love you too before hanging up. 

Running to her room, she called out for the monsters, fear coating her voice as she flung open the closet door.

"Sans... Papyrus?"

Her cries were met with nothing but silence, and with a choked sob, she read the note once more, her tears staining the page and smudging some of the ink.

~oOo~

_Frisk,_

_Thanks for taking care of us. We're sorry for leaving so abruptly, but I couldn't stay there any longer otherwise I may have acted selfishly. You're the first human that has ever cared for us, and for that I'll be forever grateful, but you have a life to live and We'll only get in the way. I hope we meet each other again someday._

__

_Your pal, Sans_

~oOo~

Her heart ached as realization dawned on her.

They were gone.

They were gone and wouldn't be coming back.

A sob tore itself from her throat as she ran to the kitchen door, flicking the light switch on to illuminate the backyard. Her eyes watered as she saw boot prints head away from the house, and without thinking, she flung open the door and ran into the yard, not even realizing her state of dress.

"Sans! Papyrus! Come back!" She cried into the darkness, hoping that they hadn't gotten far.

After a few minutes of waiting, she ran back into the house, pausing only to look around in the junk drawer for a flashlight before heading back out into the melting snow and slamming the door shut. Clicking on the light, she followed the tracks, her bare feet slipping here and there in the wet, muddy earth. 

Her heart sank as she realized they had gone to the tree line, and with how late it was, she was increasingly worried about her monster friends. There were plenty of dangers in the forest, and night had to be the worst possible time for anyone to be out.

Heart hammering a mile a minute, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, not caring as she fell repeatedly on the sloshy earth, or that her feet were being torn up from running barefoot in the forest. Her wails echoed loudly across the trees, her desperate cries going unheard by those she needed most.

Time seemed to slow and yet quicken at the same time, her feet never stopped moving until she was nearly bowled over by the darkness of the night sky, her flashlight flickering now of all times. With a groan and fearful sob, she kept moving forward, her feet leading her even deeper into the forest.

"Sans? Papyrus?" She called, her voice hoarse from who knows how long of yelling.

Her steps faltered as her feet throbbed from the lack of protection, her legs bleeding here and there from scrapes and scratches. Her eyes darted around fearfully as she looked around at the hoot of an owl, and the distant sound of a wolf's howl. Her eyes filled once more with tears, except now they were of fear. 

Her flashlight was blinking in and out of life, her shaking and slapping doing nothing to help the battery inside. A wail tore through her throat and she collapsed into a heap on the forest floor, fear overwhelming her small frame. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself to cry, for the loss of the only friends she had ever known and for the fear of being alone, stranded in the dark and unsure of where home was.

It was only as she heard twigs snapping behind her that she rose, stepping away hesitantly as two golden eyes glowed from the faint hint of moonlight shining through the branches. A scream tore it's way through her throat as the creature chose that moment to dart forward, and with nothing but pure adrenaline filling her form, she ran for her life, not sure where she was or where she was going. 

All she knew was she had to get away from that creature, it's growl echoing in the darkness of the forest.

"S-SANS!" She screamed desperately, praying to any god that would listen that someone would hear her.

A sound from her left had her falling face first into the dirt, and with a strangled shriek, she watched as a figure blinked into existence right in front of her, a large bone in its hand as it took a heavy swing at the creature descending upon them. 

A low pitched whine tore through the forest as a sickening crack was heard before the thing dropped to the forest floor in a heap.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she looked up at her savior, the person dropping to the ground beside her and checking her for any wounds.

Her vision was hazy after the heavy hit to her head, but she looked up as a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Frisk, oh my god! Kid, are you crazy? What are you doing out here alone? Especially in the dark!" 

A whimper escaped her lips as she threw herself into the monster's arms.

"S-Saaaaaaaaaans!" She cried, clinging to the skeleton's chest despite his obvious shock, but soon his arms wrapped themselves around her back.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

He whispered to her comfortingly, rocking her gently in his arms as she cried into his shirt.

When her sobs subsided, he pulled away and wiped the dirt off her face, "Why are you out here, Frisk? It's dangerous to wander around in the woods, especially after dark!"

She looked up at him, tears still clinging to muddy lashes, "You left! You left and didn't even say goodbye! How could you do something like that?"

He sighed, his eyes boring into hers as he shook his head, "I thought it would be better if I left before you woke up. It woulda made the goodbyes easier.."

"Well you were wrong! Do you know how scared I was when you left? Don't think I didn't read that part about you getting in the way! Are you really that dense?"

He frowned pulling away even more, "We would be in the way. We're monsters, Frisk. We don't belong in your world."

"Yes, you do! You have a right to live like any other human does!" She yelled, her voice cracking from overuse, "You can't just leave like that. You said you were my pal, didn't you?"

He blushed faintly but nodded and looked away, "Yeah, I did write that.."

"Then as your friend, I'm begging you. Please come back home! I don't want to see you or Papyrus on the streets, I don't want to always worry about where you sleep or if you've had a meal, so please.."

She grabbed his skull in her hands, "Live with me! I'll be good to you, I'll feed you and get you clothes, I'll even teach you guys everything I learn from school, just please don't go!"

He sighed, his hands moving to grip hers gently before moving them away, "Frisk, you deserve a normal human life, not one of keeping us a secret. We will be fine, worry for yourself, okay?"

She shook her head, tears coming once more, "I can't just go on with my life knowing you're gone. Come back with me, please. If you leave again I'll just keep searching for you, so please don't make this so hard and just come home!"

He sighed softly and wrapped her in a gentle embrace, letting her cling to him as she sobbed again.

"Does it really mean that much to you?" He whispered into her dirt encrusted hair.

"Yes! You're my friend, I don't want you to go!" 

He chuckled, slow and gentle, "You really are a strange human.."

She pulled back a bit to scowl at him, but he just smiled at her and pat her back before pulling her into a warm hug, "All right. We'll stay."


	7. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a bit of fluff for you guys. This chapter is dedicated to Blueskeleton for always commenting and reminding me to write more lol. Hopefully this chapter will suffice for the time being. More to come :)

Sans smiled and stood, offering a hand to a very dirty Frisk who laughed brokenly as he helped her to stand. They both were a bit of a mess, his clothes stained with the dirt from her clothes. Tear stains clung to the shoulder of his blue hoodie and with a small blush, she turned away, embarrassed to have cried like such a baby.

He just chuckled and brushed away some of the dirt, before looking down at the creature a mere foot away. The wolf was lying on its side in the dirt, a small trickle of blood flowing from a large gash on the top of its head. Truthfully, Sans didn't want to have to resort to violence, but he just couldn't help coming to Frisk's aid. She was after all, their savior, and in turn he returned the favor, regardless of the regret for the life he had took.

Before she could see what he had done, he grabbed her hand, watching as a deeper blush spread across her cheeks, and had he had the time he might have looked deeper into her reaction, but he dragged her away from the area quickly, shame filling him as he left behind his kill. 

He didn't stop walking through the foliage until he came upon a small cave a little ways away from the incident. The entrance was a large crack in the stone, a few feet across and just high enough for Sans to slip through.

Turning back to the girl, he ruffled her hair before crouching down and calling into the crack, not minding her squeak of disbelief as she smoothed down her crusty hair.

"Pappy, come on out! I got a surprise for ya."

Shuffling was heard on the other side and Frisk cast a quick glance at Sans, concerned until a familiar voice reached them.

"What is it, Sans? We aren't supposed to leave until morn-"

The words died on the tip of his tongue as Papyrus finished crawling out of the crack, staring up at the human girl with wide eyes, "Frisk!"

A muffled sob broke from his throat as he scrambled from the forest floor and threw himself into her arms, effectively knocking her over in the process. A hiss escaped her as she hit the hard earth beneath them, but she forced a smile as Papyrus cried into her chest, smoothing a hand down his back in a reassuring gesture. Broken words escaped him, her name wailed into the flesh of her neck as trails of tears ran down her skin. Without even realizing it, she curled her body around his smaller one tightly, her own eyes tearing slightly as she wrapped him up in a fierce embrace.

"I missed you too Papyrus." She giggled brokenly, her voice giving out between words. 

He laughed shakily as he pulled away, just enough to look into her warm gaze, his own gaze holding hers steadily as he moved to wipe at his tear filled sockets.

As soon as he noticed her disheveled state, Papyrus moved back slightly, a worried expression crossing his skeletal features, "My god, Frisk, are you okay? Sans, the human is hurt!"

Sans immediately moved over to their sides, a frown working it's way across his face as he knelt down beside her and checked her body for injuries. Her legs were littered with small cuts, some deeper than others, but otherwise fine. Her feet had taken the brunt of her endeavors, her soles had been badly scraped and were caked in mud, oozing blood from the more deep cuts she obtained from running barefoot across the forest. 

His gaze traveled upward, noticing more cuts along her arms where the fabric of her sweater had torn to reveal tender flesh. Thankfully, they weren't as deep as the ones on her legs, but when he looked upon her face, he found himself completely shocked to have missed the large bump on the side of her head, no doubt from when she had hit her head fleeing from the wolf.

Stifling a curse, he glanced to Papyrus before scooping him up in his arms, ignoring his indignant squeak as he placed him on the inside of his shirt, closing the hoodie around him and zipping it up until Papyrus was secure.

Frisk giggled at his antics, finding the act cute. What with the way Papyrus was fit snugly inside Sans' jacket, she couldn't help but laugh softly. The two reminded her of that funny animal that hopped on two legs, kangaroos was it? 

Sans eyed her curiously, but decided to ignore her tinkling laughter, instead standing up and turning his back to the little girl. Crouching down, he lowered himself to her level before instructing her to climb on.

She sputtered, sitting up with a muffled groan as she did so, "Wh-What? You can't be serious!"

He looked back over his shoulder, a scoff passing his teeth as he rolled his eyes, "Dead serious. You're tired and it's really late. Climb on."

Her face turned a muted pink as she watched him warily, her thoughts a flustered mess, "N-no that's okay! I'll be fine, really."

She moved to stand, but fell to her knees as pain shot up her legs. She cried out as her legs buckled once more as she tried to stand. An impatient grunt met her ears as Sans shuffled closer, but she tried in vain to stand on her own two feet, groaning as she stumbled forward an inch or two before collapsing again.

"Frisk, you're very determined, I'll give ya that, but we have to get a move on. The woods ain't safe this late at night, and you're in no condition to move, let alone protect yourself. Please, just let me help you."

With a sigh, she finally accepted his offer, sliding onto his back and shivering as his bony hands slid onto her thigh, just above her knees to support her weight. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood up suddenly, the shift startling her already frazzled nerves. He gave her a brief smile before turning around and moving off into the tree line. Where he was going she had no clue, but she found herself relaxing with the gentle sway in his steps and the way his hands held her securely. 

Her eyes shifted from the passing trees to the clear sky, the stars glistening high above them, almost twinkling before her eyes. She gave a small smile, thanking whoever was out there that heard her prayers, thanked anyone for the miracle that it was that she had survived that frightening encounter and had been reunited with the two friends that she was quickly growing attached to.

With a soft sigh, she snuggled her head into the crook of Sans' bony neck, smiling gently as she felt his grasp tighten minutely in response to her shifting. Her eyes fluttered closed as exhaustion overcame her senses, filling her mind with sluggish thoughts that went by unnoticed. All she could focus on was the gentle sway of Sans' steps and the lingering smell of smoke and pine that she would come to know as purely Sans. An overwhelming sense of peace filled her being and her body relaxed further against his back, her nose moving to burrow in the soft fur of his hoodie.

A small yawn passed her lips, and she could have sworn that Sans had shuddered, but before she could read anything into it, his words broke through the otherwise silence.

"Get some sleep, kid. It's gonna be a bit of a walk back."

Fighting back another yawn, she mumbled sleepily into the furred hood, "Mm, but I don't wanna.. I'm scared.."

Sans seemed to pause in his stride, but he continued on after a moment, his voice filling her mind with its gentle encouragement.

"Sleep, Frisk. We'll be home shortly. No harm will come to you."

"But," she paused to cast a sleepy glance up at his face, "What... What if you're not there when I wake up?"

He smiled softly, glancing down at her fluttering lashes, and the stifled yawns that she tried to hold back. He knew she would be out soon, but he couldn't help but put her worries to ease beforehand.

"I'll be here whenever you wake, Frisk. I won't leave again, okay?"

Silence met his question for the briefest moment before a breathy 'Promise?' reached his ears. He smiled gently, his eyes focusing on her peaceful face, her eyes now closed and breaths coming in slow, rhytmic pulls. Even though he knew she wouldn't hear him, some unknown emotion filled him, it's pull centering on the fast asleep human on his back, and with a small chuckle, he whispered the words she had so desperately fought to hear.

"I promise, Frisk. I won't ever leave your side again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates. I just recently got my very first job at a nursing home and it's a bit more taxing than I'm used to. I'll try to write and post more when I have the free time. I know this chapter is short and for that I'm sorry, but the next one will be longer. Thank you all so much for sticking with this story! :)


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't much of a fluff, but it's a little insight on the monster's background as well as his thoughts on his new friend. Next chapter should be up soon and it will be more fluffy. This chapter is dedicated to hihi for always commenting and making me remember to write more :) hopefully this is a bit exciting, but maybe not haha

Time seemed to slip by him as they walked, the moon the only light that guided the skeleton as he carried his family home.

_Home.._

A place he never thought he'd have again. 

A smile crept up on his skull as he chanced a quick glance at the girl sleeping peacefully against his back. Granted, she usually looked more comfortable when she slept, but traipsing through a forest in shorts, a sweater, and no shoes will definitely put a damper on that, not that he was complaining.

In fact, he was both astounded and touched that the tiny girl had the determination, the bravery, the sheer stupidity to wander through a forest for who knows how long just to find two monsters that imposed on her life for maybe a week. It was touching to see what lengths she had gone through to ensure their safety, and if he were honest, he found himself strangely drawn to the human girl, wanting to protect her and care for her as she had done for him. 

True, they had not known each other long, but there was something about her that made him happy, made him feel at ease for once in his very long life. She was optimism at its finest, the level of trust she bestowed him was flattering although naive as it was. All it would take was the snap of his fingers and her life would be no more, and yet..

She viewed him as an equal. As a person. Not a monster, yet a monster all the same. Someone of importance in her life, and that was something he never had. No one had looked upon him and saw him as a living being aside from those of his kind, and as for them..

His soul clenched painfully as he recalled the bloodshed spattering the clean snow, the dust that flew amongst the wind as his kind died before his eyes, becoming nothing more than specks of dirt in the whipping breeze. He could still hear the deafening screams as his people were obliterated right in front of his eyes, see the face of his father as he looked back at him, smiling tearfully as he took the blow meant for him and his brother. Even as his eyes closed and a shuddering breath escaped him, he could still see his father turning to dust, slowly as if he fought every second to keep himself alive for their sakes.

The last words he had ever heard before the life he knew shattered right before his very eyes.. 

_Run.._

_Run.._

_Run.._

_RUN!_

"SANS, RUN!" 

Startled from his thoughts, he came to in time to see Papyrus pointing fearfully at a pair of glowing eyes watching them from the edge of the bushes, a low pitched growl ringing out amongst the trees as the creatures crept closer, the dim glow of the moon outlining two furred bodies sinking low to the ground as they eyed him warily.

_Really? More wolves?_

His eyes shifted from one creature to the other as they lurched forward, circling their prey with angry snarls and guttural growls. It was clear what their intentions were, and he had no problem taking care of the threat, but..

His gaze left the circling wolves for a split second as Papyrus huddled against his chest, shaking like a leaf.

"S-Sans," the little monster whimpered, "What are we gonna do?"

The older skeleton frowned, his magic had already been depleted from overuse having to keep them safe and undetected for the last hour or so, but he had to do _something_.

Sans glanced back up as the snarling grew, just in time to see the larger of the two wolves barreling at him head on. With a silent curse, he managed to flicker away just as a pair of snapping jowls flew into his face. 

The trio reappeared a few feet away in the bushes, Sans quickly depositing the whimpering skeleton with a now awakening Frisk. The telltale sounds of growling filled the air as the wolves rushed to their location. With a barely muffled curse, he instructed the frightened pair to make a run for it as he summoned up what little magic he had left. 

A sharpened femur appeared in his hands as a wolf broke through the bushes, just in time to find itself bashed in the face, a loud crack and a sharp whine echoing off the trees. Glancing back, he sighed in relief seeing Frisk rushing through the foliage, a teary Papyrus in her arms.

An agonizing cry escaped him as the wolf seemed to have recovered, as evident by the sharp jaws clamped down on his arms. He drew back and punched the creature as hard as he could and fell backwards as it refused to let go, instead opting to overthrow his balance with its massive weight. The other wolf pounced on his ribcage, slamming his body into the hardened earth and forcing all the breath from him as he struggled to get free.

He had to get up, he had to protect his family!

He couldn't help but wail as the creature had managed to snap his radius while the other went for his raised fist. Pain raced up his bones and left him weak and distraught, his mind frantically working and praying that his brother and the little human girl had made it out safely.

His mind dulled as shocks of pain shot up his spine and he found that moving was growing increasingly harder to do. Blood trickled from his arms as he lie in the dirt, writhing slowly as the fight drained from him.

If only he wasn't so weak. Too pathetic to save those he cared about most, maybe then he could have had a real family? All hopes of living a happy life with his brother and dear friend flew out the window as the wolves snarled and crunched on his bones, wrenching his limbs to and fro, and all he could do was watch despairingly, praying that his sacrifice had at least bought them enough time to escape.

Just as his vision drifted to black, a low whine filled the air and the heavy weight settled on his chest had been lifted. The other wolf that had taken to munching on his arm had also fled after something he could not see whizzed by his face, connecting with the body and forcing it to let go. 

A heavy grunt sounded above him as whatever it was chased off the wolves. He knew not who it was, but prayed with all his heart that his friend hadn't been foolish enough to come back for him.

A pained cry left his savior as well as a few more low pitched whines and growls, but eventually the heavy footfalls left the clearing and the person flopped down beside him, clutching at his broken arm tenderly, but nonetheless causing a whole new wave of unbearable pain to fill him. His scream echoed around them as his body slackened and his mind began to shut down, too far gone in its overwhelming pain to function any longer.

The last thing he registered was a frightened feminine voice, that of his saviour and newest friend begging him to stay with her.


	9. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to Lunar_Moon_Butterfly for their sweet comment that made me remember to write more. I appreciate everyone who reads my silly stories. It means the world to me. Thank you! :)

By the time Sans had awoke it was still dark, and surprisingly warm. Around him, the sound of rushing water reached his ears and the gentle sway of the wind brushed against the plants and ferns around them. 

Moving his head slightly, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness around him before finally taking note of a warm body snuggled atop his own, a mop of dark brown hair tickling his nose as he leaned forward.

Frisk it seems had fallen asleep on him sometime throughout the night, but despite the blush lighting his cheeks, he looked around warily, wondering just what the heck had happened.

He cursed as Frisk moved slightly, the action causing pain to shoot up his arm. He hissed as she moved more, trying to seperate herself from him as soon as she realized he had regained consciousness. 

"Sans! Oh my god! I thought- you were-" She fumbled, her eyes filling with tears as she gazed down at his pale face.

He gave the barest hint of a smile, his face contorted in an awkward grimace, "I'm fine, just.. could you please move?"

Her eyes widened and she scrambled away as fast as she could, her cheeks tinted from what he could see, but he had no time to dwell on it as shooting pains erupted up his arm once more, every second felt like an eternity of agony. 

All the adrenaline from earlier had long gone, only to be replaced by an all consuming pain that drove him to lie back on the cold earth, arm cradled against his chest.

He heard Frisk's panicked cries as he groaned in pain, but a new voice filtering in beside him had his eyes snapping open, and his good arm moving to push Frisk behind him. 

A warm, velvety voice met his ears as a hooded figure knelt a few meters away from the two kids, "Ah, what a brave child you are. With such wounds, it is a miracle you made it out alive. Come now, let us tend to your injuries."

Sans merely scowled, shifting his body closer to the stunned girl, "Don't come any closer. If you do, I swear I'll-"

"Sans!" An all too familiar voice called out, his high pitched voice filling the night as a small figure emerged from underneath the figure's cloak, a radiant smile on his face as he clambored out from the person's grasp to run to a shaky skeleton, "I'm so glad you're safe!"

Bony arm crushed the tiny monster to a warm chest as Sans held his baby brother close with all the strength of pent up fear and relief, "Pappy. Thank goodness you're safe.."

A light giggle escaped the younger monster as he wriggled free from his grasp, a large goofy grin plastered to his skull, "I'm fine, Sans. The nice lady helped me. Helped us!"

Another figure emerged from the brush, cloaked just as the person next to them, but long tendrils of chestnut hair peeked out from either side of the hood. The woman in question hovered close to her companion before cocking her hip and glancing down dismissively at the kids.

"See, Az. They're perfectly fine. Brats probably wandered straight into the wolves den without a care in the world," cold crimson eyes stared haughtily at both him and the girl before she snorted and looked back at the person beside them, "far too much trouble for my tastes personally."

Sans' expression hardened, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes before he scowled wholeheartedly at the pair a few meters away, his magic pulsing weakly in response. An attempt at what would normally be an outright threat turned completely harmless as he ground his teeth in pain.

"Come now, no need for such hostility, runt. After all, it is I to whom you owe your life. Or perhaps you had forgotten?"

Sans' scowl furrowed, his eyes flashing between blue and gold rapidly as he eyed the hooded woman despite his limbs quaking, "I owe you nothing!"

Tinkling laughter met his ears as the woman hunched forward, clutching her stomach gently, "Oh, but in fact you do, runt. Although, I must say, your defiance is rather cute to say the least. Go on, pretend you would have made it out alive without my help."

Just as he was about to retort, the person beside her shifted, the warm voice from before now changed to a deep baritone laced with unquestionable authority.

"Enough. Let them be," the man spoke, eyes unmoving from the trio before him, but it seems the woman got the message as she merely scoffed but fell quiet after a moment, her eyes downcast as she kicked at the grass beneath their feet. 

The man moved forward, far too close for Sans' liking, but before he could push the others back, the figure stopped and left a neatly wrapped package a few feet before them.

Sans eyed them warily as the figure moved back to the brush, his large frame not unnoticed against the woman's small stature.

"Medicine. Bandages to patch you up."

Frisk moved closer, reached out to tear into the package before Sans had any time to react. Harsh words left him as he scolded her for her gullibility, but she carried on anyway despite his warnings.

The woman sauntered closer, her dark black fabric rustling softly in the lush grass with every step, the move graceful yet cautious. Hunching down, she leveled a withering glare in his direction before pulling out the bandages and peroxide and showed the little girl how to use them. 

Sans made to snatch Frisk away, but a warm hand on his shoulder made him pause. Papyrus had seen enough it seemed since he commanded Sans to be still and reassured him that these people were no threat. If they had been, why would they have saved them in the first place?

It seemed to have the desired effect, because soon Sans had calmed enough to where he didn't feel like throttling their saviours where they stood. Minutes passed as he watched the girls bandage one another until finally, the woman announced she had done a good job and reinforced her statement with a gentle pat on the head.

Sans bristled, but Frisk turned to him with such an overjoyed expression that he just couldn't find it in him to be angry. He sat still as Frisk rushed back over and the two cloaked people stood and made their way back towards the brush.

With a backward glance, crimson met white as the man turned back to the little trio, "Follow the river downstream and you will find what you are looking for. Fear not, this place is protected and you may use this clearing for as long as you need. Be safe young ones."

The man gave a kind wave before turning and brushing through the bushes and past the densely populated trees. Sans did not turn away until long minutes had passed and the sounds of footsteps through the underbrush had long since fell silent.

It was only as a gentle hand grazed his radius that he snapped back to himself. Glancing over, he noted the silent worry in the human girl's eyes as she looked down at the crack in his bone, the ugly jagged break scabbed over with dried blood. A frown etched itself on his face as he winced as the pain came rushing back. 

Sensing his discomfort, Frisk gently grasped his arm and took some gauze from the med care kit and poured peroxide onto the little square.

"Don't worry, Sans. We'll get you patched up in no time.."

He nodded, his face scrunched up in pain, but he kept watch all around, especially since Papyrus had chosen to wander about and collect all sorts of wildflowers growing around them. No matter what they said, he would not let his guard down after all that had happened.

Gentle hands touched his bone and with a hissed curse, he wrenched his eyes back to Frisk who began apologizing profusely as she eased her grip even more.

Wiping away the caked on dirt and blood was far more painful than he ever thought imaginable. Each swipe set his bones aflame and sent sharp, immobilizing pain up his spine. Uncharacteristically, he whimpered, grunting with every passing second as he fought back the urge to cry. He barely registered her gentle encouragement, her whispered praise and heartfelt apologies as she finished her task. The moment she stopped, he opened his eyes to find hers glassy with tears, though she let none fall.

"Okay, it's all clean. We have to set and wrap it. This might hurt a bit, but I'll be as gentle as possible. Just relax as best you can.." 

He tensed reflexively as she gently forced his bone back to its normal position, but this time he merely balled his fists. He wouldn't risk upsetting her anymore than he already had.

Soon enough his hand replaced hers as she fumbled with the bandages, her nerves apparently as shot as his. Despite her unease, she managed to wrap his arm, making sure to make the bandages tight. He had to admit her process was rather slow, but where she lacked speed, she made up for in meticulous care.

Soon the wound was fully patched up, and he fell back to the forest floor, his head dizzy from exhaustion, both mentally and physically. He didn't have the strength to call for Papyrus, instead finding relief that Frisk had managed to corral the little monster back to safety, where he immediately began dispersing his finds amongst them. Apparently Papyrus had found something funny as his little giggles sounded over the gentle rushing of water and the soft chirping of the forest.

Cracking an eye open, he found Papyrus placing a bright blue flower beside his skull. Giving his brother a gentle smile, he glanced to the side to note more flowers around his head.

"Paps, what are you doing?"

Papyrus giggled and placed a small orange flower somewhere high above his skull and smiled triumphantly.

"Decorating!"

Sans chuckled softly before closing his eyes again. If his brother found comfort with this so called decorating, then so be it. 

His mind soon began to drift, much to his displeasure, and he found himself unable to crack an eye or maintain a coherent thought.

The last thing he registered was Papyrus' happy giggles and Frisk's pleased hum as she suggested they make flower crowns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. I'm not dead, just tired from life. The story will be finished unless I die or something (morbid, I know). Thanks for sticking with this story. I'm sorry for the late updates/if I disappoint any of you guys. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come.


	10. Move

Warmth spread through aching bone, filling his body with peace and allowing him a brilliant reprieve from the night's cool air. It was a beautiful morning when Sans awoke, the sun, having risen maybe an hour or so ago, shone down on the landscape, casting a golden sheen on the low hanging fog around the clearing. The birds had long since risen, their incessant chirping almost musical as he rubbed an eye softly while he sat up, casting away the last vestiges of sleep.

He stretched lightly, his spine popping pleasantly as he looked around bleary eyed at the ground around him. A smile nearly split his face in half as he noticed his peacefully sleeping brother lied beside him, an equally sleepy girl lying just behind Papyrus, one arm slung across his chest to snuggle him closer.

He laughed quietly at how peaceful they looked with flowers littering the earth around them, and stuck in Frisk's long locks. It was such a nice sight to wake up to, and he had half a mind to lie down and just fall back asleep. Duty overruled desire though, and he found himself stirring sluggishly, rising to his feet begrudgingly and glancing around the area to make sure they were safe. Animals of all kinds riddled the forest and he would be damned if he let his friends and family fall prey to another attack. Forget what those two weirdos said, the woods were a danger in and of itself.

With a soft nudge, he gently shook Frisk awake, smiling softly at the sleepy grunt she gave and her murmured 'five more minutes'.

"Come on, Frisk. We gotta get moving," he whispered softly, nudging her until she finally awoke with an annoyed huff and bleary eyes.

"I'm up, I'm up," she sighed, "What time is it?"

He laughed wholeheartedly at that, his smile apparently contagious as she grinned at him sleepily, "How the heck should I know? Maybe around 8 or so? We monsters aren't built with an internal clock."

"All right, smartypants," she conceded with a muffled groan as she stretched from her spot in the grass. Sapphire eyes shimmered with mirth before turning solemn as the reality of their situation came back to mind, "How are you feeling?"

"Well, for camping outside I'd have to say pretty well rested, although grass certainly ain't good for backs."

"No you, dork. Your arm. How does it feel?"

He frowned momentarily and stared down at the bandages distastefully. Another reminder of his failure to protect his loved ones. The break would mend, but the scars would remain, no matter how hard he would try to forget.

"It's fine. Hurts less than it did yesterday."

Frisk nodded, and stood unceremoniously, cradling a still sleeping Papyrus to her chest, "That's good. I'm happy to hear that. I know you might not want it, but here. Take these."

Sans frowned as she held out a pair of small capsules, "What is it?"

"Medicine," she smiled brightly, "It helps numb the pain."

Sans frowned, staring at the pills warily. He knew that the people from last night had likely given the medicine over, but he still had a hard time trusting those two strangers. Normal people would never bother to save a couple of monsters and their human companion. Those two were odd, indeed, although he supposed they proved their worth by giving them aid. All together, he hated accepting anything from the smug little humans, but the low throbbing pain in his arm made him reconsider.

Now that he thought about it..

"What about you? Are you alright?" He frowned, eyeing her head curiously. She had managed to take a pretty nasty spill yesterday. She had to have felt it all the while. Shame filled his soul as he recalled the last few days, how he had abandoned his friend in favor of leaving her to a normal life, how he had found her bruised and bloodied on the forest floor after being chased by wolves, her furious tears as she pleaded for him not to leave..

His eyes gazed on regretfully as he watched her run a gentle hand through her hair a nervous chuckle escaping her as she tried visibly not to wince, though he saw the slight pinch in her features and the small grimace on her face.

"I-I'm fine, really. Just a bit of a headache is all.."

Slowly, bony hand met tender flesh as he grasped her palm, bringing it down from the top of her head. He felt her stiffen and try to pull away, but he only clenched a little tighter, turning her palm face up to expose a thin trail of sickening crimson liquid. White met blue as their eyes met, and for the first time he fully took notice of the girl in front of him, the one who was now desperately looking away, her words hurried and laced with reassurance.

"It's okay. It's just a scratch, really! I'm fine so don't worry-"

"I'm sorry."

The words died in her throat as she finally met his gaze, although looking away shyly at his sudden declaration, "Ah, uhm.. wh-what are you..?"

"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me. None of this would have happened if I had never met you. You wouldn't have had to take in two monsters that will mess your whole life up. You wouldn't have had to lie or steal or put yourself in danger," he whispered, his own gaze falling as he stared disparingly at the grass below.

Two hands clasped either side of his skull and yanked up, forcing their gaze to meet once more. He inwardly shuddered and pulled away reflexively at the anger in her eyes.

"You big dummy! You're my friend. I couldn't care less what you are or how you got here. What matters now is how we get out of here and back home," she glared defiantly, "Now stop being such a baby and take the medicine so we can get a move on. We need to get home and soon. I've been gone all night.."

Sans eyed her palm for a moment before swiping one of the little pills into his hand and downing it quickly. He grimaced momentarily before pushing the other one away.

"You take it. You're hurt too."

He watched as she smiled softly, and took the other pill, her face contorting for just a moment before she composed herself and stood, carrying a grousing Papyrus in her arms.

"C'mon, we've got a long way to go. We might as well get a move on."

With that said, the trio set off downstream, following the river towards home if their saviors were to be believed. Papyrus had been groggy all morning and surprisingly cranky at being woken up. He had pouted and refused to get moving, stamping his foot and throwing a tantrum at being up so early. Sans had told him sternly that they needed to get a move on, only making Papyrus even more upset, but he effectively silenced his brother by swooping him up into his arms and setting off for home.

Papyrus still grumbled every now and then as they walked, his mood lightening as the time worse on and he slipped back into a light doze. Soon, gentle snores filled the air combined with the sound of rushing water and singing of different forest creatures.

The walk back had been mostly uneventful, the two kids choosing to play a bit of I-spy to pass the time as they trekked on. Frisk had to explain the game first, and it took a full minute of debate between the two as to the benefits of pointing out random things. Frisk had merely huffed and told him to lighten up and have some fun. He had pouted for a minute but eventually agreed, playing for a few turns as the scenery passed by. Which brought them to their current predicament..

"Oh come, on. Just tell me what it is already!" Sans whined, his voice softer than normal so as not to wake his brother.

Frisk's lips tilted into a goofy smile as she tapped a finger to her chin as she contemplated it for a moment.

"Hmm.. no."

"Frisk, it been like ten minutes," he frowned, "Just tell me already!"

She giggled softly before folding her hands begin her back and bouncing lightly as she walked, "Nope. You already have your clue."

"What else is blue out here? We've already guessed the sky, river, flowers and my hoodie, what else is there?"

He watched as her steps sped up a tad and a nervous giggle left her lips as she hurried past him. He just barely caught her whispered 'your eyes' before she was turning away, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she dashed on ahead.

He stopped momentarily, mouth agape before it snapped shut and a small smile graced his skull. He decided not to press the issue seeing as she was obviously embarrassed, so he carried on with the game, the two of them going back and forth for a while until there was nothing new to spy and a comfortable silence settled around them.

Eventually Papyrus awoke once the sun rose high in the sky, an almost overwhelming heat beating down on the three of them. He had groaned and complained about the heat and the group had collectively decided to rest after travelling for so long. 

Frisk sighed in relief as she flopped back onto the grass underneath one of the many trees lining the side of the river. She sighed and lay flat, resting her legs and groaning as a flash of pain spread from the tips of her toes up the length of her calves. Her wounds had been cleaned shortly after Sans had fallen asleep, she had waited so that he wouldn't see her discomfort, but a few had split back open, small trickles of blood running down her left calf from one of the deeper gashes, and her foot had begun to ache and throb as she walked amongst the dirt and grass. Thankfully, the grass was fairly high and Sans seemed not to notice, having been distracted by their game.

Her eyes closed, blocking out the view of light filtering in from the leaves above, as she exhaled slowly. Her mind focused on her parents, surely they had noticed her absence by now. She wondered if they were worried, maybe they had ventures out into the woods themselves? She really hoped that wasn't the case. She'd already encountered the dangers lurking in the woods and prayed her parents hadn't been so unfortunate.

A shadow loomed overhead and she cracked an eye open, unsurprised to find Papyrus standing over her with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Everything okay, Paps?"

He nodded, twiddling his thumbs absently as he looked anywhere but at her, "Ye-Yes, human. Everything is fine. I am.. sorry for being rather rude this morning."

She flashed him a small smile and reached up to pat his skull tenderly, "S'okay, Paps. Don't worry about it."

He nodded, grinning happily before giving her an enthusiastic hug and running back to Sans to let him know all was forgiven.

Frisk watched the two briefly before her eyes drifted skyward, her thoughts running wild once more. She had barely had more than a few minutes to herself before a cool, wet feeling enclosed her foot. With a shriek, she scrambled backward, her feet scraping against the ground roughly as she backed away from the sensation. 

Sans watched in a mixture of amusement and concern as he noted the caked on dirt and blood on the bottom of her soles. He moved forward once more, brushing a wet cloth over her foot once more. She grimaced and tried to move away, but his gentle grasp on her ankle stopped her retreat as baby blue met honey in a quiet plea.

"Hold still. You really banged your legs up."

She frowned but relaxed her leg slowly as his hands swiped away the blood and filth as gently as possible. Her face contorted in a grimace and a few hisses escaped from her despite her best efforts. He whispered softly spoken apologies as he cleaned her feet, making sure to wash them thoroughly to prevent infection.

After finishing his task, he set her feet down gently and took a moment to recline against the tree beside her, his eyes resting on the tiny skeleton scrambling to catch butterflies a few feet away.

"Keep away from the river, bro. I don't want you falling in!" He warned, watching as Papyrus nodded sheepishly and moved farther away from the waterside.

The three stayed that way for quite some time, each one enjoying the calm of the riverside and appreciating the small comfort the shade provided. Frisk had stayed quiet in her thoughts as she listened vaguely to Papyrus' giggles and splashing while Sans would occasionally warn him not to play too far in the sluggish water.

After a while of rest, Sans glanced back down to Frisk's torn up feet before bending down and ripping away his fuzzy slippers, shame filling him as he passed along the pink house shoes. 

"Here," he sighed, setting them by her side, "take 'em. They might be a little big but it's better than nothing."

She gave him a lazy smile and murmured her thanks as she slipped them on, her feet still tender from the day's adventure. She perked up from her spot and stretched languidly before standing up to go collect a rather tuckered out Papyrus. Thankfully the shoes provided a bit of cushion and took away some of the ache on her abused heels.

Papyrus let out a squeal as she scooped him up quickly, a large grin on his face. She turned around and smiled softly at Sans.

"Well c'mon ya big lug. We best get a move on."

He nodded and murmured his agreement as they set out once again, the time seeming to fly by as the trio contented themselves to playing games or swinging Papyrus between them as he giggled and clutched their hands tightly.

All in all the day was rather pleasant despite the hardships they had endured only days before. The sun had begun to set, bathing the trees in a canopy of scarlet and fuschia as the three of them continued on despite the chill setting in. Frisk was delighted to see that the scenery was becoming more familiar, the winding hills that she had explored with her family coming into view.

Pointing towards the hill just below, she turned to a confused skeleton and gave him her most brilliant smile before scooping up Papyrus and rushing down the hillside.

"C'mon, Sans! We're almost there!" She yelled, laughter bubbling up in her chest as she spotted the familiar cabin.

The three stopped on the crest of the hill as Frisk's mother was calling her name, moving from one place to the other whilst her father was on the phone, glancing nervously all around the yard and in the tree line.

Frisk ducked down quickly, Sans following moments after. He glanced at her curiously before turning his attention back to the two humans milling about below them.

"What is it Frisk? Why are we hiding?" 

She sighed softly before handing over a confused Papyrus. Carefully she slid off the shoes and gave them back as well, "We can't let them see you. If they do there's no telling what will happen.."

"I'm gonna cause a distraction. You guys slip in the house while they're busy. Please don't let them see you!" She whispered, her voice cracking as she thought of the worst should her parents find them.

Sans looked like he wanted to argue, but he merely studied her face intently before nodding his agreement. She gave them a soft smile and let out a shaky breath before rushing past the brush they hid under.

"Mama! Daddy!" She cried, rushing down the hill quickly before slipping on the wet grass and skidding down the hill, bumping her head again in the process. She heard her parents calling to her, but she looked up to see a rustle in the bushes and the figures of her two friends disappear. For a moment she worried about where they had gone, but as she was pulled into a warm, albeit very emotional embrace, she saw the two inside the house giving her a soft smile before they went to hide.

Her mother's tears on her shoulder snapped her back to the reality of the situation and she found herself sobbing into her mother's arms.

Another pair of arms wrapped around them and a relieved sigh met her ears. Soft drops hit the top of her head and a shaky hand pat her hair, the heavy yet comforting feeling bringing more tears to sting her eyes

"I-I'm s-so sorry, mama.. daddy.." 

Her mother only sobbed harder and rocked them gently, her voice long since gone after hours of searching and calling for her daughter.

"Don't ever do that to us again, you hear me? You had us worried sick!" Her father scolded, but based on the trembling in his arms she knew he was more so shaken up than being stern.

She nodded softly and the group stayed huddled together for a long moment, every one grateful that they were reunited and safe at last. When they parted, her mother gasped in horror as she took in her daughter's many cuts and scrapes, particularly the nasty gash that ran along her leg and the worrisome trail of blood marring the side of her head, dried blood caking the hair and matting it into a horrendous knot.

"Frisk! Oh my god, baby girl, what happened?" Her mother cried as her father swooped her up into his sturdy arms and rushing to the car.

"I.. got lost. There were wolves. It was so dark and I was so scared.." She whispered, her head spinning as the overwhelming dizziness crashed into her, "I don't.. feel so good.."

Her father set her down in the backseat of their car, a standard SUV that they had brought for the trip, and buckled her in. His hands stroked her matted hair shakily before he climbed into the driver's seat, his wife sitting in the back by her baby.

"I know, sweetheart. Just stay awake with us. Don't nod off, okay?"

She nodded, her head feeling like a pile of mush as her vision blurred and her mind spun. She tried her best to stay awake, but soon enough her dizziness overcame her. The last thing she registered was her mother's worried voice and the lurching of the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is dragging out with them still being kids and all, but I'm having fun writing cute little snippets of fluff. Hopefully y'all enjoyed!


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